Lawal suspects Governor Bello Matawalle, the APC governorship candidate and his supporters as architects of the allegation
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State, Dr. Dauda Lawal, has dismissed as baseless the claim that he forwarded documents showing different names, dates of birth, and hometowns to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Lawal refuted the claim in a statement issued by the Dauda Lawal Media Office on Sunday in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital. He said his opponents who are scared of his rising popularity in the state were the architects of the fake and malicious story which was published by an online newspaper (not Premium Times). Copies of Lawal's INEC affidavit and other documents submitted with the apex electoral body are attached with this story.
It should be recalled that the fate of the state governor, Mr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, Lawal's major opponent, remains uncertain following a pending court case challenging his eligibility for the 2023 governorship election. Matawalle is seeking re-election for second term of four years on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State. The pending case is at the Federal High Court, Gusau where the plaintiffs are seeking Matawalle's disqualification from the race over perjury charges arising from alleged certificate forgery and age falsification.
The PDP candidate's statement reads in parts: "The attention of the Dauda Lawal Media Office has been drawn to a misleading story on documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the Zamfara State PDP Governorship Candidate, Dauda Lawal.
"This is one of the many orchestrated efforts by the Zamfara State Government and the state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who are afraid of Lawal's ever rising popularity and acceptance by the Zamfara electorates. It is the handiwork of unscrupulous elements that are afraid of squaring up against him in the forthcoming 2023 election.
"In the story, it was written that Dr. Dauda Lawal has presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission certificates with different names, different dates of birth, alteration of result, false declaration, and false place of birth. The story added that the PDP candidate also presented to INEC a primary school certificate bearing the name Ado Dauda. In contrast, the secondary school certificate he presented to the commission has Ado Dauda Lawal as his name. Also, his university and NYSC certificates carry Dauda Lawal.
"For the records, Dr. Dauda Lawal's mother was from Guga, a village in Bakori Local Government of Katsina State. Lawal was from childhood carried by his maternal grandfather, Alhaji Ado.
"Alhaji Ado, Lawal's maternal grandfather, enrolled him in the Guga Primary School in 1972. It was out of respect and part of the tradition that Dauda Lawal used Alhaji Ado's name as his surname while in primary school. That was how he ended up with the name Ado Dauda on his primary school leaving certificate.
"After he finished Guga Primary School, Alhaji Ado enrolled Dauda Lawal into Government Secondary School, Kachia in Kaduna State. He was registered as Ado Dauda Lawal, the combination of Dauda, his name; Lawal, his father; and Ado, his maternal grandfather.
"At the completion of his secondary school, Dauda Lawal got admitted into the famous Ahmadu Bello University and graduated in 1987 with B.Sc. in Political Science. He obtained an M.Sc. in Political Science/International Relations from the same university in 1992. All these certificates carry the name Dauda Lawal because he attended them after leaving his maternal grandfather's place and staying with his father.
"Article 10(1) of Nigeria's federal Oaths Act provides that:
"10. (1) It shall be lawful for the Chief Justice of Nigeria, a Justice of the Supreme Court, The President and Justices of the Court of Appeal, and any judge of the Federal High Court, a notary public, and any commissioner for oaths, to administer any lawful oath or to take any lawful affirmation or affidavit which may be required to be taken or made for the purpose of complying with the requirements of any law for the time being in force throughout Nigeria or elsewhere, except where such procedure is expressly or by necessary implication manifestly excluded by the terms of such law as aforesaid and the presumption shall be against any such exclusion. (Nigeria 2003).
On 12 September 2018, Dr. Dauda Lawal went to the Supreme Court in Abuja where he duly deposed to an affidavit setting the records straight with regard to his name and documents. He stated that he is Dauda Mohammed Lawal, male, Muslim, Nigerian Citizen, now residing at No. 9 Anka Road, Gusau, Zamfara State and that he was born on 2 September, 1965 at Gusau, Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
He also stated in the affidavit that at the time of his birth, there was no provision for the issuance of birth certificates in the community hence the need for the age declaration for record purposes and also to confirm his age and place of birth.
As is the case with all lawful age declarations, Dauda Lawal made the solemn declaration four years ago conscientiously believing the same to be true and correct by virtue of the provisions of the Oaths Act.
The Zamfara PDP governorship campaign media office pointed that "the valid affidavit obtained has legally covered differences in Dauda Lawal's names, dates of birth, and hometowns".
It further clarified that: "Mohammed is the name of his paternal grandfather; as such, it is valid for him to use either two names, Dauda Lawal, or three names Dauda Mohammed Lawal.
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"We are aware that the purveyors of this unfounded news are unrelenting in their desperation to impugn Lawal's integrity and reputation.
"We will not be distracted by these latest antics and acts of desperation. None of Dr. Lawal's certificates are forged or in question, unlike the Zamfara State Governor, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, whose fate hangs in the balance over his eligibility for the 2023 governorship election. As it is, palpable anxiety appears to have set in within the APC in Zamfara. Governor Matawalle has a pending case at the Federal High Court, Gusau. The plaintiffs are seeking his disqualification from the race over alleged perjury arising from certificate forgery and age falsification."
The Zamfara PDP described the recent publication as "a desperate attempt by the corrupt establishment in Zamfara to divert people's attention from the multiple corrupt and criminal allegations hovering over Matawalle and his administration".
The state PDP chapter further called on all its supporters and the general public "to disregard and ignore this latest unfounded mischief". It particularly enjoined the supporters "to continue working on consolidating the party's steady rise to victory in the upcoming 2023 general elections".
