PDP takes Zamfara from APC as Dauda Lawal unseats Matawalle

Dauda Lawal has defeated Bello Matawalle, the incumbent governor, in the Zamfara governorship election.

Lawal, flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara, has become the first governorship candidate to unseat an incumbent in the 2023 elections.

Declaring the winner of the election in the early hours of Tuesday, Kassimu Shehu, the returning officer, said Lawal polled 377,726 votes.

“That Lawal Dauda of political party PDP, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the election,” he said.

The returning officer announced that Matawalle, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), secured a total of 311,976 votes.

The upset caps the takeover of Zamfara by the PDP.

TheCable had earlier reported that Nasiru Magarya, speaker of the Zamfara house of assembly, lost his reelection bid.

Magarya, who contested on the platform of the APC, represents Zurmi west constituency.

He was defeated by Ismail Bilyaminu, the candidate of the PDP.

Similarly, Musa Yankuzo, the deputy speaker of the state assembly, lost his reelection bid to Bello Maza-wajem of the PDP.