The Zamfara State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Sokoto, on Monday, upheld the victory of Dauda Lawal, as the duly elected governor of the state.
The ruling dismissed a petition filed by former governor of the state, Bello Matawalle, challenging the declaration of Lawal as the winner of the March 18 gubernatorial election.
Matawalle, who is now Minister of State for Defence, had accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), of subverting his victory at the polls, for failure to include the results of some ward areas, which if added, will give him victory with a wide margin.
The tribunal, in a unanimous judgement delivered on Monday, dismissed the petition filed by Matawalle of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for lack of evidence.
It held that Matawalle failed to prove that he won the majority of lawful votes cast in the election.
Meanwhile, Governor Lawal has commended the judgement of the tribunal.
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.
