Zamfara Speaker: Eight Lawmakers Who Quit APC Were Suspended Long Ago for Gross Misconduct
Gusau, Zamfara—October 5, 2026—The Speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki, has clarified that the eight lawmakers who announced their resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday had been suspended from the House long before their political decision.
Moriki said the lawmakers’ purported defection should not be interpreted as evidence of division or instability within the Assembly.
He stressed that their suspension substantially predated the latest development and arose strictly from disciplinary matters.
Why the Lawmakers Left the APC
The eight members announced their exit from the ruling party in separate resignation letters submitted to their ward chairmen.
They cited worsening insecurity in rural communities, alleged injustice and lack of unity within the APC, unpaid salaries and allowances (claimed by some as lasting 32 months), and dissatisfaction with the leadership of Governor Dauda Lawal.
Those who resigned include:
- Aliyu Ango Kagara (Talata Mafara South)
- Ibrahim Tukur Bakura (Bakura)
- Faruk Musa Dosara (Maradun I)
- Bashir Abubakar Masama (Bukkuyum North)
- Muktaru Nasiru (Kaura Namoda North)
- Nasiru Abdullahi (Maru North)
- Bashar Bello (Bungudu West)
- Bashar Aliyu (Gummi I)
The lawmakers have not yet publicly announced a new political platform.
Speaker’s Account of the Suspension
According to Moriki, the eight lawmakers were suspended on **26 February 2024** over allegations of gross misconduct, conspiracy, mischief, contempt of the House, and convening an illegal sitting in violation of the Assembly’s Standing Orders.
The Speaker said the accusations went beyond procedural breaches. The lawmakers were alleged to have forcibly entered the offices of the Clerk and the Sergeant-at-Arms, gained unauthorized access to the Legislative Chamber, damaged public property, and thereafter held an unauthorized sitting. A criminal complaint arising from the incident is currently before a court.
On 13 May 2026, the House approved an extension of their suspension for another legislative session because the disciplinary issues remained unresolved.
Moriki noted that two other lawmakers who were initially suspended alongside the group later apologized to the House and were reinstated—a development he presented as evidence that the disciplinary process was not politically motivated.
Assembly Insists It Is Stable and Functional
The Speaker maintained that the Zamfara State House of Assembly remains stable, functional, and fully engaged in its constitutional responsibilities.
He said 16 lawmakers are currently active and that the House held plenary last Tuesday, with plans to reconvene on Monday.
“The purported defection of members who have remained under suspension cannot be presented as evidence of disarray in the House,” Moriki stated. “Their suspension was therefore not a consequence of their present political decision.”
The development comes amid ongoing political realignments in Zamfara as parties prepare for the 2027 general elections.
The state has long grappled with insecurity, particularly banditry and kidnappings in rural areas, issues that featured prominently in the lawmakers’ resignation letters.
As the dust settles, attention will now turn to whether the suspended lawmakers pursue legal or political remedies and how the APC in Zamfara manages the fallout from the resignations.
This report is based on official statements from the Zamfara State House of Assembly Speaker and verified news accounts as of October 5, 2026.
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