In a significant ruling, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has declared the governorship election held in Zamfara State on March 18 inconclusive. The unanimous decision by a three-member panel led by Justice Oyebisi Folayemi, supported by Justice Cordelia Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo and Justice Sybil Nwaka Gbagi, nullified Governor Dauda Lawal’s return as the winner of the election for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Justice Nwaka, delivering the lead judgment, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in three Local Government Areas (LGAs) where elections had not been held previously or where results from various polling units were not counted. These LGAs are Maradun, Birnin-Magaji, and Bukkuyum.

The court ruled that it was improper for INEC to rely on information obtained from its INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal to compile the final results of the governorship election.

This judgment comes following an appeal brought before the court by Bello Matawalle, the immediate past governor of the state and candidate of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in the election. Matawalle, who was later appointed as the Minister of State for Defence by President Bola Tinubu, contested the election results. INEC had credited Lawal with 377,726 votes, while Matawalle was said to have scored 311,976 votes.

The tribunal had previously upheld Lawal’s election on September 18, prompting Matawalle to proceed to the Appeal Court.

The Court of Appeal’s decision caused palpable tension around its premises, with security personnel deployed to maintain order. Supporters and political associates of both parties had gathered at the court since early morning, with heavy security presence to prevent any potential unrest.

This ruling has significant implications for the political landscape in Zamfara State and is expected to lead to a fresh election process in the specified LGAs.

Source: The Guardian