Sani Shinkafi, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has raised objections to the verdict of the Zamfara State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. The tribunal upheld the victory of Governor Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over Bello Matawalle of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued recently, Shinkafi expressed his discontent with the tribunal’s judgment, denouncing it as a miscarriage of justice, a disregard for the rule of law, and a display of extreme partisanship. He called upon the National Judicial Council (NJC) to launch a thorough investigation and impose appropriate sanctions on the panel led by Justice Cordelia Ogadi, aiming to safeguard what he referred to as “the nation’s hard-earned democracy.”
Shinkafi questioned why the panel had seemingly overlooked what he described as a “significant violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, the INEC regulations, guidelines, and manual for the 2023 general election.” Specifically, he highlighted the alleged disenfranchisement of over one hundred thousand voters in Birnin Magaji and Maradun Local Government Areas, despite the presentation of substantial oral testimony and documentary evidence during the tribunal proceedings. Shinkafi saw this as a deliberate attempt to undermine the democratic processes in the country.
