The Supreme Court in Abuja affirmed on Monday that Dauda Lawal‑Dare is the validly nominated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State for the March 11 governorship election. A five‑member panel delivered a unanimous judgment dismissing the appeal filed by rival aspirant Ibrahim Gusau, finding it without merit. In the appeal (SC/CV/92/2023), Justice Adamu Jauro upheld the Court of Appeal’s decision of January 6, which had endorsed the second primary election that produced Lawal‑Dare as the PDP candidate.
Justice Jauro, writing the lead judgment, accepted the arguments of counsel for the governorship candidate, Damian Dodo, SAN, that his client was lawfully nominated in accordance with statutory provisions. He held that the Federal High Court in Gusau, which had twice nullified the primary elections, lacked jurisdiction when it adjudicated Dr. Gusau’s suit. In the primary, Dauda Lawal‑Dare received 442 votes, emerging as the winner. The Sokoto Division Court of Appeal, on June 6, had likewise upheld this primary and confirmed Lawal‑Dare as the PDP candidate for the March 11, 2023 election.
The first PDP governorship primary, held on May 25, 2022, was challenged and nullified by the Federal High Court in Gusau, which ordered a fresh primary on September 23, 2022. That election was also quashed by the same court for irregularities. Dissatisfied, Dauda Lawal‑Dare, Adamu Maina‑Waziri (Chairman of the Primary Election Committee), and retired Col. Bala Mande appealed to the Court of Appeal.
In a unanimous judgment read by Justice Abubakar Talba on behalf of the bench, the Court of Appeal found that the appellants had proven all seven grounds of appeal presented by their counsel and ruled entirely in their favor. The court held that technical defaults could not override judicial provisions, dismissed all preliminary objections regarding the competence of the appeal, and emphasized the importance of a fair hearing. It also concluded that the High Court was wrong to discount documents submitted by INEC and that the trial court had failed to specify the period for conducting a rerun election and the notices of participation.
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