The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in Zamfara State, Mallam Wadatau Madawaki, has stepped down from the state executive council following the defection of Governor Dauda Lawal from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Madawaki confirmed his resignation in an interview, explaining that his decision was rooted in his loyalty to the PDP, a party he says he has no intention of leaving.
“I only resigned because the governor is joining the APC. I am a PDP member, I have never been in the APC and I am not ready to be an APC member,” he said.
He dismissed suggestions that he was pressured to resign, maintaining that the decision was entirely his own and based on personal principles.
“The governor has never forced anyone to resign. Even during the stakeholders’ meeting, he made it clear that nobody would be forced to join the party. I only resigned because I believe it is the honourable thing to do,” he added.
Governor Lawal has since accepted his resignation. This was confirmed by the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, Malam Abubakar Mohammad Nakwada, who also announced that the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Abdulmalik Abubakar Gajam, has been asked to oversee the Ministry of Education in an acting capacity with immediate effect.
The resignation follows Governor Lawal’s recent defection from the PDP to the APC, alongside his deputy, Mani Malam Mummuni, and several members of the state executive council, a move reportedly driven by internal disagreements within the party.
In a symbolic gesture after the defection, the PDP flag was taken down from the Zamfara Government House in the presence of the deputy governor and other cabinet members, marking the state’s official alignment with the ruling party.
