……. appeals majority tribunal judgment
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State says he would appeal the majority judgment of the Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Lafia that annulled his declaration as the winner of March 18 election.
Speaking in Lafia on Monday while reacting the judgment of the tribunal Governor Sule said that the judgment was a temporary setback that they would learn from in order to restrategise and come out stronger.
“I still remain the governor till Supreme Court decides otherwise because the law allows me to appeal and we will do that to reclaim our mandate,” Sule said.
The governor called on his supporters to remain calm and not take laws into their hands by engaging in street protests.
He cautioned the youths and supporters of APC against responding to the opposition, especially on social media.
The tribunal in a split judgment annulled the election of Sule of All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared Mr David Ombugadu of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful owner of the election.
The majority judgment was read by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, Chairman of the tribunal.
Justice Chiemelie Onaga, a member of the panel agreed with the lead judgment read by the panel chairman.
Delivering the judgment lasting more than four hours virtually, chairman of the three-member tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, declared Ombugadu the rightful winner of the election.
The chairman declared that Ombugadu provided the results of the various polling units and forms EC 8A and proved to the tribunal that the results were manipulated in favour of the APC.
He said that based on the proof from the various polling units before the tribunal, Ombugadu had the majority of valid votes at the election.
He ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Sule and issue a new one to Ombugadu.
The only dissenting judgment was delivered by Justice Mashi, who dismissed the petition filed by the PDP candidate for lacking in merit.
He said the petitioner failed to prove his case and upheld INEC’s declaration of Sule as winner.
Reacting to the tribunal’s decision, Ombugadu’s counsel, Mr Johnson Usman (SAN), lauded it for a detailed judgment.
The counsel said the tribunal had proved that the court is the last hope of the common man by affirming the decision of the majority of the people of the state at the poll. (NAN)
