The Zamfara State Governorship Electoral Petitions Tribunal has dismissed a petition by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Bello Matawalle, which challenged the declaration of Dauda Lawal of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the March 18 gubernatorial election.
Lawal obtained 377,726 votes to be declared the winner of the election.
Matawalle scored only 311.976 points and came in second place.
Confirming Mr Lawal’s election, the court said the APC failed to prove the allegation of exclusion from the Maradun local government results and that the election did not take place in some districts of the state.
The president of the court, Cordelia Ogadi, also said that the petitioner failed to prove the claim that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to comply with electoral rules during the conduct of the elections.
The three-judge panel of judges also imposed a fine of N500,000 on the petitioner, Mr. Matawalle.
the governor speaks
Lawal has described the affirmation of his election as a confirmation of the will of the good people of Zamfara State.
“Some time ago, Dauda Lawal was confirmed as the winner of the March 18, 2023 gubernatorial election at the Zamfara Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which is located in Sokoto.
“The sentence was not a surprise but rather an affirmation of the collective decision made by the unwavering people of Zamfara.
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“Governor Dauda Lawal emerged victorious in the gubernatorial election with an impressive margin of 65,750 votes,” the governor’s spokesperson Sulaiman Idris said in a statement.
Idris said the decision would encourage Lawal to continue his “rescue” mission in the state.
“Let it be known that this victory belongs to all the people of Zamfara, not just the Governor and his party. The ruling will encourage Governor Lawal to continue his determination to fulfill his mandate and work tirelessly to ensure that the people of Zamfara State experience the benefits of good governance.
“Governor Dauda Lawal’s rescue mission, which began on May 29, 2023 after his administration was sworn in, has already made notable progress in improving security, education, infrastructure and agriculture,” Idris added. .
Matawalle can still appeal the court’s decision to the Court of Appeal, under Nigerian electoral law.
