Federal high court sitting in Gusau, Zamfara state, has nullified the governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that was won by Dauda Lawal.
Gatekeepers News reports that Lawal had polled 431 votes to win the governorship ticket in the party’s primary held on May 25, 2022.
Three other aspirants including Abubakar Nakwada, Wadatau Madawaki, and Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau had earlier withdrawn from the race, alleging irregularities.
However, Adamu Maina, the returning officer for the primary, said their withdrawal was declined since it was without formal notice.
In June, Shehu-Gusau, Madawaki and Aliyu Hafiz Muhammad, another aspirant filled a suit challenging the legality of the primary that produced Lawal as the party’s candidate.
They requested that the exercise be annulled due to alleged anomalies, contradictions, fraud, violation of the electoral act and the party’s constitution, among other things.
The presiding judge, Aminu Bappa, while delivering the judgment on Friday granted all the prayers of the plaintiffs and nullified the primary.
Justice Bappa also ordered that a fresh primary should be conducted to produce a flagbearer.
The counsel to the plaintiffs, Ibrahim Aliyu, while addressing journalists after the ruling expressed joy over the outcome, describing it as a victory for democracy.
Aliyu said, “We are happy today as the court has answered our prayers and cancelled the election which was marred by a series of irregularities,” he said.
“I am so glad that the court has granted the prayers submitted in this honourable court by our clients and hereby ruled in their favour.”
Meanwhile, a media aide to Lawal, Imraan Ahmad said his principal will appeal the judgment.
