Dauda Lawal, candidate sacked by court, wins Zamfara PDP guber primary again

Dauda Lawal has won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election rerun in Zamfara.

Lawal will represent the PDP in the 2023 governorship election in the state.

He polled 422 votes to beat his two opponents — Ibrahim Shehu and Hafiz Nahuche — who scored one vote each.

Hassan Hyet, chairman of the governorship primary election committee and Kaduna state PDP chairman, announced the results at the conclusion of the exercise in Gusau, Zamfara capital.

Hyet said out of 431 accredited delegates, 428 cast their ballots while four votes were declared invalid.

“Dr. Dauda Lawan-Dare, having scored the highest votes, is hereby declared as the winner and the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the forthcoming 2023 general election in Zamfara state,” Hyet said.

Hyet said one of the aspirants, Wadatau Madawaki, withdrew from the race before the commencement of the election.

On September 16, a federal high court in Gusau nullified the election of  Lawal as the governorship candidate of the PDP.

Lawal had, on May 26, emerged as the party’s governorship candidate.

He had polled 431 votes to defeat Ibrahim Shehu, who came second with five votes, and Wadatau Madawaki, who placed third with three votes.

But in June, Madawaki, Shehu-Gusau, and Aliyu Hafiz Muhammad filed a suit challenging the legality of the primary election.

They requested that the exercise be annulled due to alleged anomalies, contradictions, fraud, and violation of the electoral act and the party’s constitution, among other things.

In his ruling, Aminu Bappa, the presiding judge, granted the prayers of the plaintiffs and nullified the primary — and ordered a rerun.