The Zamfara state governorship election petitions tribunal has upheld the victory of Dauda Lawal as the governor of the state.
Lawal emerged as the winner in the March 18 election, defeating Bello Matawalle, the former governor of Zamfara.
Lawal, who ran on the PDP platform, secured 377,726 votes, while Matawalle, the candidate of the APC, garnered 311,976 votes.
Matawalle, who now serves as the Minister of State for Defence, had filed a petition with the tribunal.
He alleged that his victory at the polls was undermined by INEC’s failure to include the results from certain ward areas.
However, the tribunal, in its judgment delivered on Monday, found the petition to be without merit. The tribunal also imposed a fine of N500,000 on the petitioners.
In response to the judgment, Sulaiman Idris, the spokesperson for the governor, expressed that the verdict reaffirms the will of the Zamfara people.
Idris said:
“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. And to ensure that the people of Zamfara state experience the benefits of good governance.
“Governor Dauda Lawal’s rescue mission has already made remarkable strides in improving security, education, infrastructure, and agriculture.”