January 06, (THEWILL) – The Court of Appeal, sitting in Sokoto State, has set aside the judgement of the Zamfara Federal High Court, which barred the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from participating in the March 12 governorship election in the state.
THEWILL reports that the Federal High Court in Gusau, Zamfara, nullified the primary election that produced Dauda Lawal Dare, as the PDP governorship candidate and subsequently barred the party from the 2023 guber poll in the State.
Dare had polled 431 votes to win the governorship ticket in the party’s primary held on May 25, 2022, but three other aspirants, Abubakar Nakwada, Wadatau Madawaki, and Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau, withdrew from the race.
They had alleged that the primary election was replete with irregularities and should not stand.
While Adamu Maina, the returning officer for the primary, said their withdrawal was declined since it was without formal notice, two of the aspirants – Shehu-Gusau, Madawaki, were joined by Aliyu Hafiz Muhammad, another aspirant, to file a suit challenging the legality of the primary in June.
Following their prayers that the election be nullified for irregularities, fraud and violation of the electoral act and the party’s constitution, Justice Aminu Bappa granted all the prayers of the plaintiffs and nullified the primary in September.
The judge ordered that a fresh primary should be conducted to produce a flagbearer, but Dare emerged winner of the fresh primary.
The matter took a twist when the same judge via another ruling, nullified the second primary and held that PDP will not field any candidate for the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Dissatisfied, the PDP approached the Court of Appeal in Sokoto, which ruled that the second primary as ordered by the court was valid, legal and ordered the winner Dare be put on the ballot for the 2023 governorship election in the state.
In a ruling on Friday, the appeal court in Sokoto set aside the judgement and declared, Dr Dauda Lawal Dare, as the authentic governorship candidate of the PDP in the 2023 general elections.
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