The court of appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday declared the Zamfara governorship election, inconclusive.
A three-member panel of the appellate court unanimously annulled the victory of Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ordered for rerun in three Local Government Areas – Maradun, Birnin- Magaji and Bukkuyum.
The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) had eclared Lawal as the winner of the March 18 election with 377,726 votes.
However, Bello Matawalle, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 311,976 votes, challenged the outcome of the poll at the governorship election petition tribunal.
Matawalle, now minister of state for defence, had accused INEC of denying him victory at the poll by failing to include the results of some wards.
The tribunal,in a judgement on September 18, held that the petition lacked merit and dismissed it.
The court also awarded N500,000 fine against the petitioners.
Not satisfied with the tribunal judgment, Matawalle and the APC filed an appeal challenging the decision of the tribunal.
The appeal court held that the Zamfara state election petitions tribunal did not consider the evidence provided by the appellants.
The court, therefore, declared the election as inconclusive and ordered INEC to hold a fresh election in the three LGAs.
