Igbawase Ukumba in Lafia
The Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, yesterday, at the Makurdi Division of the Court of Appeal filed an appeal against the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal judgement that annulled his victory in the March 18, 2023 gubernatorial election in Nasarawa State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced Sule Audu Alhaji as winner of the election.
Dissatisfied, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), David Ombugadu, approached the Nasarawa State Election Petition Tribunal to seek redress over alleged malpractices.
Consequently, the tribunal in a split judgement declared the PDP candidate, David Ombugadu, as the lawfully elected governor of the state.
But Sule, too, rejected the split decision of the tribunal, insisting that the petition lacked merit and ought to have been dismissed.
Consequently, the governor listed 27 grounds before the Makurdi Division of the Court of Appeal to fault the decision of the Justice Ezekiel Ajayi-led tribunal delivered virtually on October 2, 2023.
In a notice of appeal dated October 15, 2023, and filed before the Makurdi Division of the Appeal Court, Sule urged the Appellate Court to set aside the decision of the lower court and affirm his election victory as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Joined in the appeal were David Ombugadu, PDP, INEC and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents respectively.
