The Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Sokoto has dismissed the petition filed by the former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawallen, against Dauda Lawal.
The Zamfara State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Sokoto, on August 21, 2023, reserved judgement on the petition seeking to nullify the election of Dauda Lawal as Zamfara State governor in the 2023 general election.
Lawal, who contested on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform, was declared the governor of Zamfara State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 18, 2023.
However, his predecessor from the All Progressives Congress (APC) challenged his victory in court.
In his petition, he asked the tribunal's three-member panel, headed by Justice Cordelia Ogadi, to nullify Dauda's election and declare him the winner of the election.
But the tribunal, in a judgment on Monday, held that the petition was devoid of merit. The court also awarded the sum of N500,000 as a fine against the petitioners.
