The Zamfara State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has upheld the election of Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the governor of Zamfara State.
The tribunal, in a unanimous judgment delivered on Monday, dismissed the petition filed by Bello Matawalle of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenging Lawal’s victory.
The APC had alleged that the PDP rigged the election and that Lawal was not qualified to contest the election.
However, the tribunal dismissed all the allegations for lack of evidence.
The tribunal also held that Matawalle failed to prove that he won the majority of lawful votes cast in the election.
In his reaction to the judgment, Lawal said that he was grateful to the tribunal for upholding his victory. He also expressed his gratitude to the people of Zamfara State for their support.
Spokesperson to the Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris, in a statement on Monday, said the Tribunal’s verdict represented the will and decision of the people.
“A moment ago, Dauda Lawal was affirmed as the winner of the March 18, 2023, Governorship election by the Zamfara Governorship election tribunal sitting in Sokoto.
“The judgement was not surprising but rather an affirmation of the collective decision made by the unwavering people of Zamfara.
“Governor Dauda Lawal emerged victorious in the governorship election with an impressive margin of 65,750 votes.
“Let it be known that this victory belongs to all the people of Zamfara, not just the Governor and his party.
“The judgement would encourage Governor Lawal to continue with his resolve to fulfil 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 29th after his administration was sworn in, has already made remarkable strides in improving security, education, infrastructure, and agriculture”, he said.
Matawalle, on the other hand, said he was disappointed with the judgment. He also said that he would appeal the judgment.
