Reprieve For PDP As Appeal Court Clears Party For Zamfara Governorship Election

There is wild jubilation in the quarters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto State on Friday set aside the judgement of the Zamfara Federal High Court, barring the party from participating in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

It was feared that earlier ruling by the Federal High Court in Gusau, Zamfara, which nullified the primary election that produced Dauda Lawal Dare as the PDP governorship candidate will not only affect the fortune of the party in the state but the federal elections.

Dare had polled 431 votes to win the governorship ticket in the party’s primary held on May 25, 2022 but three other aspirants, Abubakar Nakwada, Wadatau Madawaki, and Ibrahim Shehu-Gusau, withdrew from the race.

They alleged that the primary election was replete with irregularities and should not stand.

While Adamu Maina, the returning officer for the primary, said their withdrawal was declined since it was without formal notice, two of the aspirants – Shehu-Gusau, Madawaki were joined by Aliyu Hafiz Muhammad, another aspirant, to file a suit challenging the legality of the primary in June.

Following their prayers that the election be nullified for irregularities, fraud and violation of the electoral act and the party’s constitution, Justice Aminu Bappa granted all the prayers of the plaintiffs and nullified the primary in September.
The judge ordered that a fresh primary should be conducted to produce a flagbearer, but Dare emerged winner of the fresh primary.

The matter took a twist when the same judge via another ruling, nullified the second primaries and held that PDP will not field any candidate for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

He ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to take note and disregard any filing.

Dissatisfied, the PDP approached the Court of Appeal in Sokoto which ruled that the second primary as ordered by the court was valid, legal and ordered the winner Dare be put on the ballot for the 2023 governorship election in the state.