Supreme Court Reverses Appellate Court Verdict, Upholds Zamfara Governor Dauda Lawal’s Election

In a major turn of events, the Supreme Court has overturned the November 16, 2023 judgment of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal and reinstate the election victory of Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State.

The apex court declared the gubernatorial election held on March 18 as conclusive, dismissing the appellate court’s previous ruling that deemed it inconclusive.
 
Justice Emmanuel Agim, who delivered the lead judgment, on Friday, described the appellate court’s decision as “perverse” and reinstated the earlier ruling of the Zamfara State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which had affirmed Lawal’s election victory.

The Supreme Court held that Lawal, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), secured the majority of lawful votes and was rightly declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC had initially declared Governor Lawal as the winner with 377,726 votes, defeating the former governor of the state and current Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, who scored 311,976 votes.

The tribunal, in its affirmation of Lawal’s victory, held that Matawalle and the All Progressives Congress (APC) failed to prove their claims of excluded polling unit results and non-compliance with electoral rules by INEC.

The appellate court, however, nullified the tribunal’s decision, declaring the election inconclusive and ordering a fresh poll in some Local Government Areas (LGAs).

In Friday’s judgment, the Supreme Court vacated the Court of Appeal’s decision, citing it as perverse and against the weight of evidence. This latest development marks a definitive resolution in favor of Governor Dauda Lawal, restoring the legitimacy of his election.