The Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the judgment of the election petition tribunal, solidifying Dr Dauda Lawal’s position as the legitimate Governor of Zamfara State.
A panel of three Justices, led by Oyebisi Folayemi and supported by Cordelia Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo and Sybil Nwaka Gbagi, delivered the pivotal verdict, endorsing Lawal’s victory.
The verdict echoes the September 18 decision of the Zamfara State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which previously validated Lawal’s election.
The legal contest arose after Bello Matawale, erstwhile Zamfara State Governor and current Minister of State for Defence under the All Progressives Congress (APC), contested the victory of Governor Lawal from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 gubernatorial poll.
Lawal secured a decisive victory with a margin of over 65,000 votes, scoring 377,726, while Matawalle scored 311,976.
With the Court of Appeal’s affirmation, the legal tussle surrounding the Zamfara gubernatorial election appears to have reached its conclusion, cementing Dr Lawal’s status as the duly elected Governor of the State.
