Nigeria, May 25 -- Since Nigeria's return to democratic rule in 1999, the opposition in Zamfara Sate have always done well against daunting challenges. They have defeated two sitting governors (2007 and 2023), and have won seats in the state and national assemblies in every election cycle.

In 2023, fuelled by the popularity of a relatively new politician, Dauda Lawal, a weak Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wrested the governorship and a senatorial seat from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), retained its three House of Representatives seats and won a majority in the 24-member state House of Assembly. With the current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, sitting as governor and the ruling party having Senators Abdulaziz...