Nasarawa Tribunal Invalidates Governor Sule’s Victory, Declares PDP’s David Ombugadu as Winner
In a stunning turn of events, the Governorship election petition tribunal has officially nullified the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state, proclaiming David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful winner.
A three-member panel led by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi delivered this historic judgment via a virtual Zoom session. In a majority ruling, two of the justices unequivocally affirmed that the election was secured by the PDP, while one judge held a dissenting opinion.
Justice Ezekiel, in his resolute declaration, emphasized that the petitioner, Emmanuel Ombudagu of the PDP, had convincingly substantiated his case beyond any reasonable doubt.
This verdict overturns the earlier announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lafia, which declared Abdullahi Sule as the victor of the Nasarawa State governorship election held in March.
According to INEC’s Prof Ishaya Tanko, the APC candidate had purportedly amassed a total of 347,209 votes, surpassing his closest rival, David Ombugadu, the PDP candidate, who garnered 283,016 votes.
The aftermath of this tribunal ruling promises to reshape the political landscape in Nasarawa state and may have far-reaching implications on the governance of the region.