The Supreme Court has upheld Dauda Lawal’s election as governor of Zamfara State, representing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The court dismissed allegations of over-voting, stating that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to provide essential evidence such as the voter register, polling unit officer reports, and testimonies of individuals present at the polling unit.
While faulting the Appeal Court’s judgment, the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the election petition tribunal, noting that Bello Matawalle, the petitioner, failed to substantiate his claims.
Matawalle contended that INEC undermined his victory by omitting results from certain wards.
In November of the previous year, the Appeal Court had nullified Lawal’s election, which had been declared by INEC as the winner of the March 18 governorship election, defeating the incumbent, Matawalle of the APC.
Lawal secured 377,726 votes, while Matawalle received 311,976 votes.
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Despite the setback, the Supreme Court’s recent ruling reaffirms Lawal’s position as the governor of Zamfara State.
Matawalle currently serves as the Minister of State for Defence. In September of the preceding year, the Zamfara Election Petitions Tribunal upheld Lawal’s victory and imposed a fine of N500,000 against the petitioners.