The Supreme Court has reserved judgement in the appeal filed by David Ombugadu of the People’s Democratic Party – PDP challenging the election of Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule.
Recall that Ombugadu and Sule have been running a legal battle over the outcome of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Nasarawa State.
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, PDP’s Ombugadu who got 283, 016 votes. Dissatisfied with the election outcome, the PDP candidate approached the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, challenging INEC’s declaration of Sule as the winner of the poll.
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 Wards of Lafia Local Government Area.
About seven months later, Ombugadu got 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.
Delivering the judgment virtually, the Chairman of the tribunal Justice Ezekiel Ajayi declared Ombugadu of the PDP as the lawfully elected governor of Nasarawa State.