The politics of Zamfara state has become a complex web of intrigue, with sabotage and strategy, betrayal and reconciliation, all intertwined. At the center of this drama is the incumbent governor, Dauda Lawal Dare, whose recent political moves have raised questions about his ability to avoid the same pitfalls that consumed his predecessors. The state's political trajectory was altered during the 2019 electoral crisis, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) failed to conduct valid primary elections, leading to a legal and political catastrophe.
The APC's failure to conduct valid primaries was challenged by aggrieved party members, led by Kabiru Garba Marafa, and ultimately resulted in the Supreme Court declaring all votes cast for the party as wasted votes. This led to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, being declared the winner, despite not winning the most votes. Matawalle's subsequent decision to defect to the APC has been seen as one of the most consequential political miscalculations in the state's recent history.
The APC in Zamfara has struggled with internal contradictions and unresolved grievances, which ultimately led to Matawalle's defeat in the 2023 elections. Dauda Lawal Dare of the PDP won the election, defeating an incumbent governor in a rare feat in Nigerian politics. However, the opposition landscape is quietly reshaping itself, and the people appear to be shifting their support. The question remains whether Dauda Lawal Dare can learn from the state's history and avoid the same mistakes that have haunted his predecessors.
The 2019 electoral crisis and its aftermath have set a precedent for the importance of valid primary elections and the potential consequences of internal party conflicts. The Supreme Court's ruling on May 24, 2019, has had a lasting impact on the state's politics, and its effects are still being felt today.
💡 NaijaBuzz is an AI-assisted news aggregator. This content is curated from third-party sources — NaijaBuzz is not the original publisher and is not responsible for the accuracy of source reporting. The NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion only, not established fact. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. NaijaBuzz does not endorse the views expressed in source articles.
