Tribunal declares Ombugadu as Nasarawa Governor, sacks Sule

The Nasarawa state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has declared the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 Gubernatorial election, David Ombugadu as the Governor of the state.

The tribunal nullified the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state.

Delivering the judgment virtually, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, declared Emmanuel Ombugadu of the PDP as the lawfully elected governor of Nasarawa State.

Justice Chiemelie Onaga, a member of the three-man 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, the third member. He 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 for 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.