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Governor Bello Matawalle and All Progressives Congress (APC) had petitioned the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal over irregularities in the conduct of the 18th March 2023 governorship election.

The petition was filed at the Governorship election petition secretariat on Monday the 10th of April 2023.

Matawalle and APC through their lead counsel Usman O. Sule a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is asking for declaration from the tribunal as the winner of the Zamfara Governorship Election conducted on the 18th of March 2023 based on the score by the APC as contained in the form EC8(A) issued to the agent of the APC for Maradun by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In the petitioners team there are four Senior Advocates of Nigeria including Usman O. Sule SAN, M. A Ebite (SAN), L. S. Oko-Jaja (SAN), and Prof. T. B Maiyaki (SAN).

The petitioner Bello Matawalle is asking for declaration as the winner of the Zamfara 2023 Governorship poll based on the highest number of votes scored in the poll.

“The Petitioners aver that if the 3rd Respondent reckoned with the actual votes scored between the Petitioners and the 1st and 2nd Respondent as contained on the duplicate form EC8C issued to the agent of the Petitioners, the Petitioners would have been declared the winner of the election held on 18th March 2023”.

“The Petitioners avers that by the actual score of candidates at the Election as contained in the actual Form EC8A, EC8B and EC8C given to agents of the Petitioners during the conduct of Zamfara State Governorship Election, the Petitioners would have won the election even without conducting elections in the four (4) registration areas of Birnin Magaji Local Government namely; Kiyawa, Dan Fami/Sabon Birnin/Dan Ali, Nasarawa Godeal East and Gora”.

“The Petitioners state that the total number of accredited voters in Maradun Local Government as contained in the duplicate of form EC8C given to the Petitioners agent is 101, 652”.

“The Petitioners avers that the actual votes scored by the Petitioners in Maradun Local Government Area during Zamfara State Governorship Election held on the 18th March, 2023 was 98, 506 and not 24, 855 recorded in the mutilated Form EC8C by the 3rd Respondent”.

“The Petitioners state that the actual votes scored by the 1st and 2nd Respondents in Maradun Local Government Area during Zamfara State Governorship Election held on the 18th March, 2023 was 618 and not 12,261 as recorded in the mutilated Form EC 8C by the 3rd Respondent”.

“The Petitioners aver that the Petitioners won the said election and would have been declared winner, if all votes are reckoned with the actual votes of Maradun Local Government with the Petitioners scoring 385, 627 while the 1st and 2nd Respondent would have lost the election with 366,003”.

On the conduct of election in four registration areas of Birnin Magaji as well as the total number of votes cancelled in the entire state, the petitioner prayed that the Zamfara 2023 governorship election ought to have declared the election as inconclusive hence the number of registered voters in the poling units cancelled plus the poling units where election did not hold is greater than the margin of lead.

“The Petitioners aver that election did not take place in all Polling Units in Danfami Sabo Birni Registration Area with 10, 723 registered voters, Gora Registration Area with 14, 463 registered voters, Kiyawa Registration Area with 11,061 registered voters and Nasarawa G. East Registration Area with 7, 842 all of Birnin Magaji Local Government Area. The Polling Units and the number of registered voters are as follows”.

“The total number of registered voters where election did not hold and where election was cancelled outside the four (4) wards in Birnin Magaji Local Government Area is 44, 671”.

“The Petitioners state that the total number of registered voters in polling units where election did not hold and where election was cancelled in Zamfara State on the 18th March 2023 is 88, 760, a figure far above the margin of lead which is 65,750”.

“The Petitioners aver that the number of registered voters in Polling Units where election did not hold or cancelled during the Zamfara State Governorship election is more than the margin of lead between the 1st Respondent and the 1st Petitioner”.

“The Petitioners aver that where the number of registered voters in polling units where election could not hold or cancelled is more than the margin of lead between the 1st Respondent and the 1st Petitioner, the election ought to be declared inconclusive, and no winner could have been declared until election is held in polling units where election was unable to hold or cancelled”.

The petitioners had also prayed that the election be cancelled as a result of over voting in poling units in some poling units at Shinkafi, Bukkuyum, Bungudu, Anka, Kaura Namoda, Birnin Magaji, Hakura and Tsafe.

The petition which has the EPT/ZM/GOV/02/2023 is slated for mentioning at a date to be announced.

The respondents Dauda Lawal, People’s Democratic Party and Independent National Electoral Commission are to be served with the copy of the petition for them to be able to enter appearance in the case.