Zamfara: Gov Candidate Who Scored 24% Of The Votes Now Governor-Elect

The Supreme Court, on Friday, annulled all votes garnered by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 gubernatorial election in Zamfara State and ordered that parties with the second highest votes take over. 

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the elections, Dr Bello Muhammad Mutawalle of the PDP came a distant second in the election with only 189,452 of the votes.

The APC candidate, Alhaji Mukhtar Shehu Idris, whose election was annulled by the Supreme Court today polled 534,541 votes, while the candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Senator Dansadau, came a distant third with 15,177 votes.

The total number of votes cast in the election was 792,938 out of the 1,717,128 registered to vote.

By the Supreme Court judgment, a candidate that scored less than 24 percent of the vote would now be declared the governor elect.

Section 179(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended provides, “A candidate for an election to the office of Governor of a State shall be deemed to have been duly elected to such office where, being the only candidate nominated for the election-

(a) he has a majority of YES votes over NO votes cast at the election; and

(b) he has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the State,

but where the only candidate fails to be elected in accordance with this subsection, then there shall be fresh nominations

However, the Supreme Court, in its judgement said the candidate can only be sworn in if he meets the constitutional requirement.

Matawalle Maradun, a top politician, was born in Maradun, the headquarters of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State to the family of Alh. Muhammadu Sharu on the 12th December 1969.

He studied at Thames Valley University, London, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, VTC Bunza in 1984 and Maradun Township Primary School in the year 1979.

He worked under ministry of Health Sokoto (in former Sokoto State) and worked as teacher in Government Girls College Moriki and Kwatarkoshi before joining Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Abuja until he decided to join politics in 1998 under defunct UNCP.

Matawalle, 49, during his campaign for governorship, promised that when he assumes office, he will secure employment, create wealth, generate power and ensure infrastructural development.

He further promised the Zamfara people security, access to health services and good governance, adding that his administration will fight against corruption and ensure that the masses are educated.

He said as soon as he assumes office, he will put an end to all terror attacks and crimes that has bedeviled the state in recent times.