PDP Reacts To Appeal Court Judgment On Zamfara Governorship Election

The Zamfara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the ruling of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja for declaring the state governorship election inconclusive.

Naija News reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Dauda Lawal of (PDP) as the winner of the election.

However, the APC governorship candidate, Bello Matawalle, challenged the outcome of the March 18 governorship election at the tribunal, but his petition was dismissed for lack of merit.

Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the Court of Appeal declared the election inconclusive and ordered INEC to hold a fresh election in Maradun, Birnin Magaji and Bukuyun Local Government Areas.

Speaking with reporters in Gusau, the state capital, the PDP spokesman in the state, Buhari Maijega, said the party would still secure a landslide victory in the event of a rerun election in the state.

He confidently stated that Governor Dauda Lawal would emerge victorious in the rerun election because he led by over 65,000 votes against his opponent and former governor.

Maijega emphasized that the total votes to be contested in the three affected local government areas, where the rerun election would be conducted, were not even up to 100,000.

He said: “It would be very impossible for the APC to secure all the votes in the forthcoming rerun election,” he asserted. He cited security challenges that might discourage many voters from turning out massively, especially in rural areas where polling units had been affected by banditry.

“Governor Lawal has a good chance of winning the election over former Governor Bello Mattawalle for many reasons. He had already scored 65,000 votes ahead of the immediate past Governor Mattawalle.”

Maijega also hinted that Lawal might challenge the judgment of the Appeal Court at the Supreme Court, suggesting that Mattawalle might be facing a difficult battle.

He appealed to PDP members and supporters to come out in large numbers to secure the position of Governor Dauda Lawal, as the rerun election would be conducted in a few polling units in Maradun, Bukkuyum, and Birnin Magaji local government areas.

Maijega added, “Even if the PDP did not actively campaign, I am very optimistic that Dr. Dauda Lawal will still garner additional votes in those three local governments and retain his governorship position. I am appealing to our supporters to remain calm. We will, by the grace of God, sail through.”