The Supreme Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, affirmed the election of governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as duly elected governor in the state
The Informant247 had earlier reported that the state election petition tribunal had sacked Governor Sule and declared David Ombugadu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, the winner of the March 18, 2023 election.
Meanwhile, the appeal court reinstated Sule and held that the tribunal wrongly relied on the evidence of eight PDP witnesses, whose statements on oath were not front-loaded alongside the petition.
Reading the lead judgement, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun held that the appeal lacks merit.
INEC declares APC’s Sule winner of Nasarawa gov’ship election
The Informant247 reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the March 18 gubernatorial election in Nasarawa state.
Prof Ishaya Tanko, the INEC returning officer, while announcing the results, said Sule polled 347,209 votes to defeat his closest and main challenger, David Umbugadu of the PDP, who garnered 283,16 votes.
The legal tussle
The Appeal Court, sitting in Abuja on November 23, upturned the tribunal’s decision to affirm the victory of Abdullahi Sule, the Nasarawa state governor.
The Informant247 reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Sule of the All Progressives Congress as the winner, while David Ombugad of the Peoples Democratic Party came second.
Meanwhile, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi-led tribunal led in a split judgment held that based on evidence from the various polling units before the tribunal, Ombugadu had the majority of valid votes at the election
Dissatisfied with the tribunal verdict, Sule appealed the judgment and asked the appellate court to set it aside.
However, in a judgement delivered by the appellate court on Thursday, expunged from its records the evidence and exhibits from
PW5, 6,7,8,12,13,20, and 21 which the tribunal relied on.