Matawalle loses as tribunal dismisses petition against Lawal

The Zamfara State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has upheld the election victory of Dauda Lawal, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the governor of Zamfara State.

The tribunal unanimously dismissed a petition lodged by Bello Matawalle, the gubernatorial candidate representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing a lack of merit in challenging Lawal’s electoral win.

Tthe tribunal also ordered Matawalle, the petitioner, to pay a cost of N500,000. The tribunal members, namely Justice Cordelia Ogadi, Justice Bello Hassan, and Justice Aliyu Gegele, concurred in their judgment, which was meticulously delivered by Justice Cordelia Ogadi, the panel’s chairperson. The proceedings extended for over four hours.

The tribunal’s ruling pointed out that the petitioner failed to substantiate claims regarding the wrongful collation of election results and the alleged omission of the election in specific wards within the State.
Furthermore, the tribunal dismissed allegations of non-compliance by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with the Electoral Act and assertions of a corrupt electoral process, stating that Matawalle failed to substantiate these claims during the proceedings.