By Sunday John, Lafia/Rotimi Ijikanmi, Abuja
Oct. 2, 2023
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lafia on Monday nullified the election of Gov. Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a split decision.
In Sule’s place, the tribunal declared Mr. David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state.
In a swift reaction, Gov. Sule said he would appeal the majority judgment of the Tribunal, insisting that the judgment was a temporary setback that they would learn from in order to restrategise and come out stronger.
He said, Monday, that “I still remain the governor till Supreme Court decides otherwise because the law allows me to appeal and we will do that to reclaim our mandate.”
Delivering the judgment lasting more than four hours virtually, chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, declared Ombugadu the rightful winner of the election.
Justice Chiemelie Onaga, member one of the panel agreed with the judgement read by the panel chairman.
The chairman declared that Ombugadu provided the results of the various polling units and forms EC 8A and proved to the tribunal that the results were manipulated in favour of the APC.
He said that based on the proof from the various polling units before the tribunal, Ombugadu had the majority of valid votes at the election.
He ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Sule and issue a new one to Ombugadu.
The only dissenting judgment was delivered by Justice Ibrahim Mashi, who dismissed the petition filed by the PDP candidate for lacking in merit.
He said the petitioner failed to prove his case and upheld INEC’s declaration of Sule as winner.
Reacting to the tribunal’s decision, Ombugadu’s counsel, Mr. Johnson Usman (SAN), lauded it as a detailed judgment.
The counsel said the tribunal had proved that the court is the last hope of the common man by affirming the decision of the majority of the people of the state at the poll.
The ousted Gov. Sule called on his supporters to remain calm and not take laws into their hands by engaging in street protests.
He also cautioned the youths and supporters of APC against responding to the opposition, especially on social media.
Meanwhile, the David Ombugadu Campaign Organisation has advised Gov. Sule to shelve any idea of appealing against the majority judgment which nullified his election.
A statement issued on Monday by Mr. Mike Omeri, the Director, Media and Publicity of the organisation, said the electoral mandate handed over to Ombugadu by the people of Nasarawa state was beyond reproach.
“We recognise the right of Alhaji Abdullahi Sule to appeal this judgment but we urge him to perish the thought as the electoral mandate handed over to Dr. Ombugadu by the people of Nasarawa State is beyond reproach.
“We extend a hand of friendship to all our political opponents to join us and recover Nasarawa State from the brink in order to discover a pathway for peace, security and sustainable development of the state,” he said.
In the statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, Omeri hailed the tribunal for its diligent and impartial consideration of the evidence presented, leading to the historic and landmark decision.
“The ruling of the tribunal highlights the tenacity of the resolve of a broad spectrum of the people of Nasarawa State to seek and secure justice from the pretenders who usurped our electoral mandate and appropriated it to themselves.
“What the people of Nasarawa State have demonstrated will further strengthen our democracy and the importance of upholding the principles of justice and accountability in our electoral process,” he said.
Omeri also noted that the Ombugadu’s unwavering commitment to serving the people of Nasarawa State had been vindicated.
He added that throughout the pursuit to recover his stolen mandate, Ombugadu had remained steadfast in his belief that justice would prevail.
“Today, we celebrate not only a legal victory but also a triumph for the democratic aspirations of the people of Nasarawa State.
“We wish to express our profound appreciation to the teeming supporters and well-wishers of Dr. David Ombugadu who stood by him with unwavering loyalty and determination.
“Your faith in the democratic process and your commitment to our course have been the driving force behind this victory.
“We also recognise the tireless efforts of our legal team, whose dedication and expertise were instrumental in presenting our case before the tribunal.
“Their meticulous preparation and passionate advocacy have been pivotal in achieving this outcome,” he said.
Omeri assured that the PDP and its candidate would be committed to the principles of good governance, inclusivity, and service to the people of the state.
