S’Court affirms Lawal-Dare as Zamfara PDP guber candidate

The Supreme Court has affirmed the nomination of Dr. Dauda Lawal-Dare as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Zamfara State for the March 11 governorship election.

A five-man panel of Justices of the apex court, in a unanimous judgment, yesterday, in Abuja, dismissed an appeal brought against Lawal-Dare’s nomination by another governorship aspirant, Dr. Ibrahim Gusau.

In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Adamu Jauro, the court upheld submissions of Damian Dodo (SAN), counsel to the governorship candidate, that his client was nominated in line with the provisions of the law.

Jauro upheld the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had, on January 6, 2023, endorsed the second primary election that produced Lawal-Dare.

The candidate gathered 442 votes in the primary election to emerge victorious over Gusau and other aspirants.

Jauro held that a Federal High Court in Gusau, which nullified the primary elections twice, had no jurisdiction at the time it adjudicated upon the suit instituted by Gusau.

The Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division, had on June 6, 2022, upheld the primary election, which produced Lawal-Dare as the PDP candidate for the March 11 election in Zamfara.

A Federal High Court in Gusau had nullified PDP’s first governorship primary election held on May 25, 2022.

The High Court, in its judgment, ordered a fresh primary election, which was conducted on September 23, but was also quashed by the same court due to irregularities.

Not satisfied with the High Court’s decision, Lawal-Dare, along with the Chairman, Primary Election Committee, Adamu Maina-Waziri; and Col. Bala Mande (rtd) approached the appellate court for redress.

Respondents in appeal include Dr. Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau, Alhaji Wadatau Madawaki, Hafiz Nahuche and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a unanimous judgment read by Justice Abubakar Talba on behalf of others, the Court of Appeal held that the appellants succeeded in proving all the seven grounds of appeal canvassed by their counsel and resolved all in their favour.

Talba dismissed all the preliminary objections on competency of the appeal, on the basis of judicial provisions and interest of fair hearing, saying that technical defaults could not supersede judicial provisions.

He held that the High Court Judge was wrong in discountenancing documents submitted by INEC, and that the trial court did not stipulate the period of conducting re-run election and notices of participation.