The people of Zamfara state erupted in jubilation as the supreme court confirmed Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as their duly elected governor. The apex court, in a unanimous decision, set aside the verdict of the court of appeal that nullified the Zamfara gubernatorial election and ordered a fresh poll. The court held that the lower court erred in law and violated the electoral act by declaring the election inconclusive.
Lawal, a former banker and political scientist, defeated the incumbent governor Bello Matawalle of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a keenly contested election in 2023. He was sworn in as the governor on May 29, 2023, and has since embarked on various developmental projects in the state. He is widely regarded as a visionary leader and a champion of peace and security in the north-west region.
Lawal and his party had approached the supreme court to challenge the ruling of the court of appeal, which upheld the petition of Matawalle and the APC. They argued that the court of appeal lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the petition, as it was filed outside the stipulated time limit. They also contended that the election was free, fair and credible, and that Lawal scored the highest number of valid votes cast.
The supreme court, in its judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, agreed with the submissions of Lawal and his party. Court also ruled that the court of appeal acted in breach of section 285 of the constitution and section 138 of the electoral act, which stipulate that an election petition must be filed within 21 days after the declaration of the result. The court noted that Matawalle and the APC filed their petition on April 18, 2023, which was 24 days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Lawal as the winner on March 25, 2023.
Supreme court dismissed the allegations of irregularities and over-voting levelled against Lawal and his party by Matawalle and the APC. The court said that the appellants failed to prove their claims with credible and substantial evidence. court further stated that Lawal satisfied the constitutional requirement of having at least one-quarter of the votes in two-thirds of the local government areas in the state.
Supreme court therefore, affirmed the return of Lawal as the governor of Zamfara state by INEC and also ordered the withdrawal of the certificate of return issued to Matawalle by INEC.
