The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State, Dr. Dauda Lawal Dare has been affirmed by the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division as the authentic candidate for the 2023 general election.
Earlier, the Appeal Court had set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Gusau, the state capital, which had nullified Dare’s primary election victory.
The Federal High court had in November nullified the governorship primary of the PDP that produced Dare as the party’s candidate.
The Federal High Court had also declared in its judgement that the PDP had no candidate for the said position in the forthcoming election in the state.
It could also be recalled that in September 2022, the court nullified the previous primary that elected Lawal-Dare following a suit filed before by Ibrahim Shehu and two other aspirants challenging the credibility of the primary.
The court ruled that there should be a rerun of the party’s governorship primary in the state but Lawal-Dare emerged winner at the rerun.
However, in its ruling on Friday, the Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court.
All the members of the three-man panel of the Appeal Court in the Friday sitting concurred with the lead judgement of Justice Muhammad Shu’aibu, who ordered the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) to accept Lawal as the elected governorship candidate of the PDP in Zamfara State for the 2023 general elections.
The panel said it was inconceivable for the judge of the Federal High Court to refuse to accept the INEC report of the primaries, claiming that it was not certified despite being a public document and published on the INEC website.
The panel added that the appellant was not properly joined by the plaintiffs. Also, a court cannot grant a relief not sought by the plaintiff. “The court is not Father Christmas,” said the panel.
Dauda Lawal, in his reaction, described the Appeal Court’s ruling in Sokoto as a victory for democracy, and the good people of Zamfara State.
The PDP governorship candidate, who spoke through Dauda Lawal Media Office, said, “The people are celebrating my appeal court judgement because of their conviction that under my leadership, Zamfara State will be a reference point for new ideas, determination, dynamism, and endless possibilities.”