Tribunal Nullifies Sule’s Election, Declares PDP’s Ombugadu Governor

•We’ll challenge the judgment, embattled governor vows 

•Atiku, PDP congratulate winner

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has nullified the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, and declared Dr. Emmanuel Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thevalidly elected governor of the state.

But the governor, who vowed to appeal the judgment at the Appeal Court, also appealed to the his teeming supporters to remain calm.

This was as former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the leadership of the PDP, have congratulated winner of the election, Ombugadu.

Delivering the over four hours judgment virtually, chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, maintained that the evidence presented by the petitioner indicated that, Ombugadu scored majority of the lawful votes cast during the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the state.

Ajayi consequently directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to Ombugadu of the PDP.

Justice Chiemelie Onaga, also, aligned with the verdict of the chairman of the tribunal, adding that the petitioner scored the majority of the lawful votes.

In resolving the preliminary objections, the tribunal held that APC’s objections on BVAS Machine/Screenshots tendered by PDP was over-ruled because the BVAS reports were pleaded, relevant and admissible.

The tribunal further dismissed the objections and delved into the merits of the petition.

Votes of Chiroma Electoral Ward was deducted by the tribunal, having compared the entries in Polling Units results with the ward result, even as the incorrect votes ascribed to Gayam Electoral Ward was also deducted.

The incorrect votes ascribed to Gayam ward was deducted, while Chiroma and Gayam Wards were regularised.

The tribunal, therefore, ruled that the law recognised that only the Presiding Officers could cancel Polling Units results, hence Ashige Electoral Ward results was restored by the tribunal.

The tribunal agreed entirely with the second Petitioner on Kanje-Abuni Electoral Ward as votes wrongly added to APC were deducted, while the petitioner’s votes unjustly reduced were added. In addition, Alwazan Mada Polling Unit votes were restored in favour of the second petitioner, PDP.

The tribunal held that the petitioners’ witnesses were all competent witnesses as the evidence of the petitioners’ witnesses were all admissible, and went on to agree with the second petitioner on all contentions on over voting and votes of political parties in the four Polling Units discountenanced and accordingly deducted as prayed by the petitioners.

The tribunal equally upheld all the contentions of the first and second petitioners.

Thus, by a majority decision of 2 to 1, the tribunal upheld the prayers of the petitioners that the votes were indeed inflated, and consequently sacked the incumbent governor and affirmed Ombugadu  as duly elected, having polled the majority of lawful votes cast.

In a dissenting judgment, Justice Ibrahim Mashi dismissed the petition for the inability of the petitioner to demonstrate how he scored the majority of the votes.

Counsel to the petitioner, Johnson Usman, said the majority judgment has affirmed Ombugadu as the lawful elected governor of the state.

Sule, however, has rejected the judgment.

Speaking to his teeming supporters of the APC stock at the Government House, he said the judgement would be challenged at the appeal court, and called on people to remain calm and law-abiding.

He promised to continue discharging his duties as governor with more vigor.

Atiku, while congratulating Ombugadu, in a brief statement, said, “My warmest congratulations to Mr David Ombugadu of the PDP, who has been affirmed by the election petition tribunal in Lafia, Nasarawa State, as the duly elected Governor of the state.

“Elections are the cornerstone of democracy, and the people’s will, once determined, should always be upheld.”

The PDP leadership while congratulating Ombugadu, said the Tribunal upheld the Will of the people and declared him winner of the election.

According to a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba,  “The unfaultable verdict of the Tribunal is victory for Democracy and the triumph of the Will of the people of Nasarawa State in their quest to liberate their state from the stranglehold of corrupt, oppressive and manipulative forces.

“The spontaneous jubilation across Nasarawa State and other states of the federation shows that the judgment of the Tribunal is in line with aspiration and choice of majority of the people of Nasarawa State in their resolve to return Nasarawa State to the path of peace and economic development on the platform of the PDP.

“Our party commends the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for its courage in upholding the Will of the people and showing that indeed, the Judiciary is the last hope of the common man.

”Our party salutes the resoluteness, courage and dexterity of the good people of Nasarawa State in insisting that their Will as expressed at that election be upheld,” the spokesman of the PDP stressed, and charged the people of the state to remain united, peaceful and at alert as a new dawn breaks in their state.

Speaking, Chairman of the PDP in the state, Francis Orogu, also described the judgment as victory for democracy and people of the state.