THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has declared the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) as the winner of the governorship election held in Zamfara state.
INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made the announcement during a press conference in Abuja on Saturday.
“Following the judgment of the Supreme Court, the Commission has met in two emergency sessions and taken briefings from our lawyers and staff on the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment,” the INEC chairman said as he addressed the press.
He said this followed the supreme court decision sacking all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the general election.
“In compliance with the Supreme Court judgment, the Commission has now determined the winners of the elections in Zamfara State as follows: Governorship 1. GOVERNOR: BELLO MOHAMMED MATAWALLE, MALE, PDP 2. DEPUTY GOVERNOR: MAHDI ALIYU GUSAU, MALE, PDP,” Mahmood said.
The Supreme Court on Friday declared that the APC had no candidates in the 2019 general elections in Zamfara state.
The five-member panel of justices, in a unanimous judgment on Friday, held that the party in the state failed to conduct primaries in accordance with the party rules.
In the lead judgment by Justice Paul Adamu Galinji, the apex court held that all votes cast for the APC as “wasted votes” and declared that all political parties with the second highest votes in the elections and the required spread, are elected to the various elections.