Now that Governor Dauda Lawal has defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), attention has turned to the position and reaction of his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, who is the current Minister of State for Defence. Matawalle, who served as governor of Zamfara State, lost his bid for a second term to Dauda Lawal before joining the federal cabinet.

Observers are watching to see whether Matawalle will publicly comment on the defection, adjust his political alignment, or play any role in shaping the new political dynamics in Zamfara following the shift.