The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday declared the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winners of the 2019 National Assembly, Governorship and State legislative elections in Zamfara State.
The party won all the three senatorial seats, seven House of Representatives slots and 23 State Assembly seats.
The National Rescue Mission candidate was proclaimed winner of the remaining seat in the State assembly.
Chairman of the commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu told reporters in Abuja that the decision was in compliance with Friday’s ruling of the Supreme Court that voided the votes of all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara in the elections.
Yakubu said that following the court ruling, the Commission had met in two emergency sessions and taken briefings from its lawyers and staff on the implementation of the judgment.
He said that the legislative elections were straight forward to deal with because “they entail first-past-the-post or simple majority of votes.”
The INEC Chairman, however, said that “the governorship election is determined not just by majority votes but also spread in accordance with Section 179 (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“This means that we had to first discount the votes cast for the APC at the elections and then carefully rework the spread by Local Government Areas based on the new valid votes.
“In compliance with the Supreme Court judgment, the Commission has now determined the winners of the elections in Zamfara State as follows:
He declared that the governorship election was won by Dr. Bello Matawalle of the PDP and Mahdi Gusau as his deputy.
He also declared PDP candidates as winners of three Senatorial Districts in the state which included Alhaji Ya’u Sahabi for Zamfara North, Mohammed Hassan, for Zamfara Central and Lawali Anka winner of Zamfara West Senatorial District.
PDP candidates declared as winners of House of Representatives election in the state were Umar Dan-Galadima for Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency, Bello Shinkafi(Shinkafi/Zurmi) and Kabiru Amadu (Gusau/Tsafe).
Also declared winners of the House of Representatives election were Shehu Ahmed for Bungudu/Maru federal constituency; Kabiru Yahaya-Anka/Talata Mafara; Ahmed Bakura -Bakura/Maradun; and Sulaiman Gumi for Gummi/Bukkuyum federal constituency.
Yakubu also declared PDP candidates winners of all the State House of Assembly 24 seats, except for Maru South won by Kabiru Hashimu of the National Rescue Movement (NRM).
Yakubu said that the Commission would issue Certificates of Return to the Governor-elect and Deputy Governor-elect; Senators-elect and Members of the House of Representatives-elect tomorrow at the Commission’s Electoral Institute in Abuja at 2pm.
“Members of the State House of Assembly-elect will receive their certificates from the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Zamfara State at the INEC State Office in Gusau on Friday, May 31 at 10am,” he said.
