The Court of Appeals sitting in Sokoto on Friday cleared the Zamfara State Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Dauda Lawal Dare to contest election in February.
The reinstatement of the PDP candidate followed the earlier nullification of the PDP primary election by the Zamfara State Federal High Court.
The High Court in its judgement barred the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from participating in the forthcoming Governorship election in the state citing irregularities in the primary election.
Earlier, the contenders of the primary election, which Dauda Lawal Dare won with 432 votes, – Abubakar Nakwada, Wadatau Madawaki, and Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau had withdrawn from the race, alleging irregularities, but changed their mind way into the exercise and went to Court seeking nullification.
INEC’s returning officer, Adamu Maina, however rejected the withdrawal from the primary, said, “heir withdrawal was declined since it was without formal notice.”
Irked by the development, the three aspirants went to Court to challenge the legality of the exercise.
They requested that the exercise be annulled due to alleged anomalies, contradictions, fraud, violation of the electoral act and the party’s constitution, among other things.
After listening to all parties to the dispute by Justice mini Bappa, the Federal High Court gave them judgement, untill the said judgement was reversed by the Court of Appeal on Friday 6th January, 2023.
