Tribunal sacks Sule, declares PDP winner of Nasarawa poll

The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, on Monday sacked Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress, and declared the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, David Ombugadu, as the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the state.

Ombugadu had dragged Sule to court challenging his declaration as the winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Delivering the judgment virtually on Monday, the chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, nullified the election of the incumbent governor and declared Ombugadu of the PDP as the duly elected governor of the state.

In a judgment that lasted about two hours, and 53 minutes, the judge ordered the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return from Sule, while the same should be issued to Ombugadu as the validly elected Governor of Nasarawa State.

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Justice Ajayi’s lead judgment was supported by Justice Chiemelie Onaga but the third judge, Ibrahim Mashi, delivered a dissenting judgment upholding Sule’s election.

The PDP Chairman Nasarawa State, Francis Orogu, said the judgment reflected the will of the people of state.

“We (PDP) want to thank the judges for doing the right thing. Today, we have been vindicated and whatever we have said from the beginning has come to pass. The truth is constant, it is only lies that can change,” Orogu said.

But Governor Abdullahi Sule told newsmen in Lafia that he had directed his lawyers to appeal the judgment.

Sule said, “Yes, the tribunal ruled against us but I remain the governor. There are other people who do not have that opportunity. I will appeal the judgment and whatever happens at that moment, I still remain the governor until we go to the Supreme Court.

“For some of us who may feel bad, what has happened is just a temporary setback. As the governor of the state, I am calling on all our (APC) supporters to remain calm. There is no need for any protest because we still believe in the judiciary, that is why we are going to the next level of the judiciary.”