By Ojima-ojo Abubakar
Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara, has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state for the 2027 elections.
A statement issued by Sulaiman Idris, media aide to the governor, said Lawal secured 301,893 votes in the affirmation exercise conducted across the 14 LGAs of the state.
Babagana Uba, chairman of the APC governorship primaries in Zamfara state, announced the result and declared Lawal the winner of the exercise.
The statement said the primary election was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Reacting to the outcome, Lawal thanked party members and Zamfara residents for their support.
“Today will remain a historic day in the political history of our state because all the major stakeholders in the state have unanimously come together under one umbrella as a united force,” he said.
“As I was declared the consensus candidate of our great party, the APC, I want to thank all members of the party and the people of the state for their trust in my administration.”
Meanwhile, Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, also won the party’s ticket in the state.
Mohammad Isah, chairman of the APC governorship primary election committee, announced the result at the party’s secretariat in Makurdi, the state capital.
Alia secured 367,786 votes to defeat Terwase Orbunde, who polled 3,247 votes, and Jeffrey Kuraun, with 2,923 votes.
Speaking after the exercise, Alia thanked party members for what he described as their overwhelming support and commended the adoption of direct primaries in the state.
“I appreciate the members of the party for the overwhelming support and for embracing direct primaries where the people’s will prevailed in all the primary elections conducted,” he said.
