The Nasarawa State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been thrown into tumultuous joy following the sacking of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress, APC, by the tribunal.
The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lafia had on Monday sacked Governor Sule and declared the PDP’s candidate, David Ombugadu, as the winner of the March 18, 2023, governorship election in the state.
In a judgment delivered virtually, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi-led three-man panel nullified the election of the incumbent governor, and declared Ombugadu of the PDP as the duly elected governor of the state.
The judge also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Sule and return it to Ombugadu as the validly elected governor of Nasarawa State.
Reacting to the tribunal judgment, PDP Chairman Nasarawa State, Francis Orogu, said the judgment reflected the will of the people of the state.
“We (PDP) want to thank the judges for doing the right thing. Today, we have been vindicated, and whatever we have said from the beginning has come to pass. The truth is constant; it is only lies that can change,” Orogu said.
Meanwhile, Governor Abdullahi Sule rejected the judgment and disclosed to newsmen in Lafia that he had directed his lawyers to appeal the judgment.
Sule said, “Yes, the tribunal ruled against us, but I remain the governor. Other people do not have that opportunity. I will appeal the judgment, and whatever happens at that moment, I will still remain the governor until we go to the Supreme Court.
“For some of us who may feel bad, what has happened is just a temporary setback. As the governor of the state, I am calling on all our (APC) supporters to remain calm. There is no need for any protest because we still believe in the judiciary; that is why we are going to the next level of the judiciary.”
