Why I Dumped PDP For APC” – Gov. Lawal Reveals Role Of Appeal Court Ruling 🔥

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has said he was the “last man standing” in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), noting that he made several efforts to remain in the party and help it overcome its internal challenges.

However, the governor explained that the Court of Appeal ruling on Monday, which refused to recognise the PDP’s Ibadan National Convention, ultimately ended any possibility of him staying in the party.

Lawal made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Idris, where he defended his decision to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to the governor, the prolonged legal battles and internal crisis within the PDP were the major factors that forced his decision to leave the party. He added that attempts to resolve the dispute through reconciliation and out-of-court settlements were unsuccessful.

Lawal stated that he was the only governor seeking a second term who chose to remain in the PDP, hoping party leaders would resolve their differences.

He noted, however, that with reconciliation efforts failing, he decided to join the APC in what he described as the best interest of the people of Zamfara State.

“Joining the All Progressives Congress was a decision taken by stakeholders in Zamfara State in view of the legal challenges currently confronting the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Governor Dauda Lawal remained committed to the PDP and worked tirelessly to reconcile the various factions in the party to ensure unity and enable it present candidates for upcoming elections.

“Unfortunately, efforts to achieve peace, reconciliation, and out-of-court settlements proved unsuccessful, resulting in prolonged legal disputes that could have serious implications, especially for leaders contesting elections in 2027,” the statement said.

Idris described Lawal as “the last man standing in the PDP,” explaining that he was the only governor seeking reelection who chose to remain with the party while hoping its leaders would resolve the crisis.

He also revealed that after a series of meetings last week on the political situation, the governor informed stakeholders that although they had urged him to defect to the APC, he would wait for the outcome of the Appeal Court ruling before making a final decision.

“The appellate court judgment eventually brought Governor Dauda Lawal’s stay in the PDP to an end as he chose to prioritise the interests of Zamfara State.

“He joined the All Progressives Congress to continue the Zamfara Rescue and Rebuild mission,” the statement added.

It will be recalled that on March 9, the Court of Appeal upheld an earlier Federal High Court ruling that restrained the PDP from holding its national convention in Ibadan on November 15 and 16, 2025.

In its decision, a three-member panel of the court dismissed an appeal filed by the PDP challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to hear the case.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam ruled that the PDP breached constitutional provisions governing the conduct of party conventions.

He also agreed that the party failed to give proper notice of the convention to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as required by law.

Meanwhile, the faction of the PDP led by Kabiru Turaki has rejected the ruling and directed its legal team to challenge the judgment at the Supreme Court.