The Supreme Court has affirmed Abdullahi Sule as the duly elected Governor of Nasarawa State, bringing to a final end several months of legal battle.
On Friday, a five-member panel of Justices of the apex court chaired by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun in a unanimous decision dismissed claims that Governor Sule was not validly elected through the votes cast in the March 18 gubernatorial election.
The appellant, David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party, had contested the Court of Appeal’s decision, but the Abuja Division upheld Sule’s election. The Court ruled against Ombugadu on all points, stating that he failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubts.
The Court of Appeal confirmed Sule’s victory in the March 18 election, solidifying the position of the Independent National Electoral Commission which had previously declared Sule as the winner of the contested election.
Not satisfied with the appellate court’s judgment, Ombugadu ran to the Supreme Court where he also lost.
In March last year, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sule the winner of the March 18 governorship election. Sule polled 347, 209 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Ombugadu who got 283, 016 votes.
He complained to the tribunal that his actual votes were unjustifiably reduced. At the same time, Abdullahi Sule of the APC was increased to aid Sule to victory, particularly in the forms EC8Bs of Gayam and Chiroma Electoral Wards of Lafia Local Government Area.
At the Nasarawa State Election Petitions Tribunal chaired by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, Ombugadu got a judgement in his favour on October 2 as the tribunal nullified Sule’s election and declared him as the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the state.
A displeased Sule appealed the verdict at the Court of Appeal in Abuja where the appellate court reversed the sack of Gov. Sule by the State Election Petitions Tribunal on November 23.
