The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has welcomed the defection of Dauda Lawal from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a case of “destiny delayed but not denied.”
Keyamo made the remark in a post on X on Tuesday, shortly after the governor’s media aide, Nuhu Anka, confirmed the defection on Monday.
According to Anka, the decision by the Zamfara governor to return to the APC was taken in the interest of stability, progress, and sustainable development in the state, following consultations with party leaders, elders, and supporters.
Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), recounted the political journey that led to Lawal’s return to the ruling party. He explained that during the build up to the 2019 elections, Lawal had sought the APC governorship ticket in Zamfara but was denied the opportunity amid intense internal rivalry within the party.
The minister noted that he and other supporters had worked hard at the time to secure the ticket for Lawal but were unsuccessful. According to him, the internal disputes that followed among party stakeholders eventually cost the APC its political stronghold in Zamfara.
“In the run up to the 2019 elections, Dauda Lawal was in the APC and we did everything possible to secure the ticket for him to run as our candidate for governor,” Keyamo wrote.
He added that Lawal later moved quietly to the PDP ahead of the 2023 elections, where he successfully secured the party’s ticket and went on to win the governorship election.
Keyamo described Lawal’s return to the APC as a “triumphal entry into the progressive family,” noting that the governor now returns not only as a party member but also as the sitting governor and leader of the party in Zamfara State.
“Today, he makes a triumphal return to the progressive family as a sitting governor and leader of the party in Zamfara State. Destiny can be delayed, but not denied,” Keyamo said, while welcoming him back to the APC fold.
Lawal’s defection marks a significant political development in Zamfara, a state that has experienced intense party competition in recent electoral cycles.
