The court has ruled that the Zamfara governorship poll is inconclusive and has mandated a rerun to take place in three local government areas.

 

In a surprising turn of events, Dauda Lawal of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged victorious in the Zamfara governorship election held on March 18, unseating the then-incumbent Bello Mattawalle of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Lawal secured 377,726 votes, while Mattawalle trailed with 311,976 votes. However, six months later, the fate of Zamfara's leadership has been thrown into uncertainty.

The Appeal Court delivered a significant blow to Lawal's victory by nullifying the election results. The ruling came after Mattawalle, who now serves as the Minister of State for Defence, contested the outcome, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of omitting certain ward areas' results. Despite Mattawalle's claims, the Zamfara Election Petitions Tribunal dismissed the petition on September 18, deeming it without merit and imposing a fine of N500,000 on the petitioners.

Undeterred, Mattawalle escalated the matter to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, seeking to challenge the tribunal's decision. Finally, on Thursday, a three-member panel led by Justice Oyebisi Folayemi granted respite to Mattawalle by nullifying Lawal's victory in the governorship poll. This latest development adds a layer of complexity to the political landscape in Zamfara, leaving the leadership of the North-Western state hanging in the balance.