“Pronounce Me Winner,” Former Zamfara Governor Matawalle Tells Tribunal

Former Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle asked the tribunal to proclaim him the winner claiming that the March 18, 2023, election was marred by irregularities.

In his defence, Matawalle brought 19 witnesses before the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to testify that Governor Dauda Lawal-Dare of the Peoples Democratic Party was not validly elected as the state governor on March 18, 2023.

In addition, he requested that the tribunal order the Independent National Electoral Commission to grant him a new certificate of return.

The petitioner’s lead lawyer, Mr Usman Sule SAN, led the 19th witness, Dr Ahmad Kainuwa, the Returning Officer of Maradun Local Government Area, during the governorship election, at the resumed hearing on Friday.

Kainuwa identified the result sheet he compiled from the ward collation officers he supervised, which was among the exhibits in evidence, and informed the tribunal that INEC had directed him not to display it but rather to declare the result generated by the INEC server.

According to the witness, the result sheet he presented to INEC differed from the one on the server.

He claimed, however, that INEC officials told him to deliver the one from the INEC server, which they claimed was genuine.

He stated that there was tension during the collation exercise at Maradun and that the Divisional Police Officer directed him to expedite the procedure since bandits were nearby.

The witness said that several figures were generated and identified the ones he produced during cross-examination by the respondent’s counsel, Chief Solomon Akuma SAN, Mr O.M. Atoyemi SAN, and Mr Wilson Tinger.

The Tribunal Chairperson, Justice Cordelia Ogadi, delayed the case till July 19 to allow Lawal and the PDP to present their case.