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From Abel Leonard, Lafia
In a groundbreaking verdict on Monday, the Governorship Elections Petition Tribunal, sitting in Lafia, has declared David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful winner of the Nasarawa State Governorship election held on March 18.
Virtual Judgment and Majority Decision
The virtual judgment, presided over by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi and supported by Justice Chiemelie Onaga, lasted for over four hours. The majority decision of the tribunal proclaimed Ombugadu as the authentic victor, rejecting the initial declaration of Gov. Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Valid Votes and Election Results
The tribunal meticulously examined the lawful results from polling units and concluded that Ombugadu secured the majority of valid votes during the election. Justice Ajayi emphasized that the PDP candidate had substantiated claims of result manipulation in favor of the APC, providing evidence in the form of forms EC 8A.
Consequently, the tribunal issued a directive to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to revoke the certificate of return previously issued to Gov. Sule and to instead issue a new one to the rightful winner, David Ombugadu.
While the majority decision prevailed, there was a dissenting judgment delivered by Justice Ibrahim Mashi, member two of the panel. Justice Mashi dismissed the PDP candidate’s petition, citing a lack of merit and affirming Gov. Sule’s victory.
Johnson Usman, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and counsel to the petitioner, praised the tribunal for delivering a thorough and well-reasoned judgment. He commended the tribunal’s commitment to upholding the will of the majority of the state’s voters and reiterated the importance of the courts as the final recourse for the common man.
