The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed Dauda Lawal’s election as the elected governor of Zamfara State.
It upheld the previous ruling of the Zamfara State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which confirmed Lawal’s election victory.
It should be noted that INEC said that Lawal of the PDP received 377,726 votes, defeating the Zamfara state’s immediate past governor and current Minister of State for Defense, Bello Matawalle, who received 311,976 votes.
The tribunal also determined that Matawalle and his party failed to show their claim that INEC violated electoral regulations during the election, albeit awarding the appellants a cost of N500,000.
However, the appellate court overturned the tribunal’s decision, declaring the Zamfara state governorship election inconclusive.
While the appeals court ordered a new poll in the whole Maradun LGA of the state, it also directed INEC to hold polls in select polling units in Birnin-Magaji and Bukyum LGA.
The appellate court determined that the Zamfara State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal incorrectly analyzed the evidence given before it by the parties.
Furthermore, the appeal court emphasized that, under the margin of lead concept, INEC should not have made a return in the election, given the presence of over 98,904 votes in the three impacted LGAs.
It concluded that the appellant, Matawalle, properly discharged the burden of proof imposed by the law to invalidate Governor Lawal’s declaration as the bona fide winner of the gubernatorial election.
“The first respondent was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes. His return was not in compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act,” the appellate court held.
However, in its decision on Friday, the Supreme Court overturned the Court of Appeal verdict for being illogical and contrary to the weight of the evidence.