Eight Zamfara State lawmakers who quit the All Progressives Congress (APC) amid internal disputes have returned to the party following a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Their return follows weeks of uncertainty over their political future, with the lawmakers previously expected to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after accusing the APC of failing to resolve internal disagreements and other grievances.

The legislators were led to the meeting by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and Aminu Jaji, member of the House of Representatives for Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency.

The returning lawmakers are Aliyu Kagara, Talata Mafara South; Ibrahim Tukur, Bakura; Faruk Dosara, Maradun I; Bashir Masama, Bukkuyum North; Muktaru Kaura, Kaura North; Nasiru Abdullahi, Maru North; Bashar Bello, Bungudu West; and Bashar Aliyu, Gummi I.

Their earlier departure from the APC was linked to disputes over unpaid allowances and entitlements, worsening insecurity in rural communities and disagreements within the state House of Assembly.

The crisis had also escalated into a power struggle over the Assembly’s leadership, resulting in the suspension of the lawmakers after they attempted to remove the Speaker.

Following the meeting with Tinubu, the legislators said their grievances were being addressed through a reconciliation process spearheaded by Matawalle. They also pledged to work for the party’s growth and electoral success in 2027.

However, the political implications of their return remain complicated. Nasiru Abdullahi, one of the lawmakers representing Maru North, had already been screened to contest for his Assembly seat on the ADC platform.

The development comes as the Zamfara APC continues to grapple with divisions among influential figures, including Matawalle, former governor Abdul’aziz Yari and Jaji.

Zamfara is currently governed by Dauda Lawal, who defeated Matawalle in the 2023 governorship election when both contested on the platforms of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APC, respectively. Lawal has since defected from the PDP, according to the report.

Tinubu’s meeting with the lawmakers offers the APC an opportunity to contain a potential loss of political support ahead of the 2027 elections. Whether the reconciliation will settle the underlying disputes within the party, however, remains to be seen.