Zamfara APC Cautions Governor Dauda Lawal Over Alleged Harassment of Lawmakers

The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Governor Dauda Lawal to end what it describes as the judicial harassment of nine lawmakers who recently formed a parallel House of Assembly.

In a press statement released on Sunday, the APC Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris, called on the governor to engage in peaceful dialogue with the lawmakers instead of using the court system against them.

According to Idris, the aggrieved legislators, drawn from both the APC and the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), had created the parallel assembly in the interest of their constituents.

“Governor Lawal should meet with these members and resolve the issue peacefully for the sake of Zamfara’s progress,” Idris said.

He criticised the state government for allegedly using the judiciary as a weapon to suppress the lawmakers, claiming that arrest orders were issued without any prior summons or formal charges.

“We find it troubling that the government is using the courts to intimidate elected members of the State Assembly who are only carrying out their duties,” Idris added.

He further explained that despite a case pending at the Court of Appeal in Sokoto and petitions already submitted to top security agencies including the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the National Security Adviser, the Magistrate Court still went ahead to order the arrest of the lawmakers.

READ ALSO: ASUU Awards Scholarships to 164 Indigent Students Across Nigerian Universities

The APC expressed concern that the judiciary in Zamfara State is being influenced by political interests, stressing that such actions could damage the state’s democracy and governance.

“Although we remain law-abiding, we will not accept any attempt to turn judicial officers into political tools against the people,” Idris warned.He also pointed out that the lawmakers had only raised concerns about the security challenges in their constituencies issues he said the government had failed to address. According to him, punishing them for speaking out is not only unfair but harmful to the democratic process.

Idris encouraged the affected lawmakers to officially petition the Judicial Service Commission over the arrest order, stating that doing so would serve as a warning to other judges who may act outside the law.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION→ Telegram | X/Twitter | Facebook | WhatsApp|WhatsApp Channel|Mobile App|Instagram