…. orders INEC to hold fresh poll in 3 LGAs

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, Abuja

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has declared as inconclusive, the governorship election that held in Zamfara State on March 18.

The court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, nullified the return of Governor Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the winner of the gubernatorial contest.

It ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct a fresh election in three Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the state, where elections did not hold previously or where results from various polling units were not counted.

In the lead judgement that was read by Justice Sybil Nwaka, the court held that it was wrong for INEC to rely on information it obtained from its IReV portal, to collate the final result of the governorship election.

The judgement followed an appeal that was lodged before the court by the immediate past governor of the state, Bello Matawalle, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the election.

More details soon…