The Supreme Court, on Friday, affirmed the election of Dauda Lawal as duly elected governor of Zamfara while setting aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which declared Lawal’s election inconclusive.
Justice Emmanuel Agim-led five-member panel of justices unanimously held that the appeal by Governor Lawal had merit, adding that the appellate court judgment was perverse and reversed the order for a rerun.
The panel found that the contention by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bello Matawalle, that the results as declared in favour of the governor in three local government areas of Birnin Magaji, Bukuyyum and Maradun was not corrected was not proved.
Justice Agim submitted that the apex court has consistently maintained that any party which disputes the result of an election must tender the correct results.
The Informant247 reports that the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has lost his reelection bid to Lawal Dare of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Professor Kasimu Shehu, the returning officer for the election, said that Dare secured 377,726 votes to defeat Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle, who scored 311, 976 votes.
Meanwhile, the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja on November 16 voided the election of Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal.
It was gathered that Bello Matawalle of the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenged the victory of Lawal
The tribunal had upheld Lawal’s election, but the Matawalle, now Minister of State for Defence, proceeded to the Appeal Court.
However, the three-man panel of justices, on Thursday, annulled the victory of Lawal and ordered a rerun of the election in three local government areas, which include Maradun, Birnin Magaji and Bukuyun.