,,,,, i will challenge judgment upto supreme court to reclaim my mandate,Sule vows.
David Okpashi in Lafia.
The Governorship election petition tribunal sitting in Nasarawa state Tuesday, sacked governor Abdullahi Sule and declared the candidate of the People’s Democratic party, David Emmanuel Ombugadu winner of the March 18 governorship election.
Delivering the judgment virtually, Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi who delivered the majority judgement holds that Emmanuel Ombugadu of the PDP was lawfully elected governor of Nasarawa State in the March 18 election..
The Tribunal further held that the Petitioners substantially proved their case beyond doubt.
Our correspondent recalls that, David Emmanuel Ombugadu and PDP had approached the Tribunal, contending amongst others issues such as reduction of his actual votes unjustifiably in favour of the APC candidate.
The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ezikiel Ajayi, joined by Justice Chiemelie Onaga, the panel member one in the majority judgement, held that the tribunal collated the lawful results cast at the various polling units and declared that Ombugadu had the majority of valid votes at the election.
Justice Ajayi added that the candidate of PDP had provided the results of the various polling units, forms EC 8A and had proved to the tribunal that the results were manipulated in favour of the APC candidate, Alhaji Abdullahi Sule.
He, therefore, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Sule and issue a new one to the lawfully winner of the March governorship election in Nasarawa state.
Meanwhile, in a dissenting judgement delivered by Justice Ibrahim Mashi, member two of the panel, dismissed the petition filed by the PDP candidate for lacking in merit.
Justice Mashi held that the petitioner had failed to prove his case and therefore upheld the declaration of Gov. Sule.
Reacting, Johnson Usman,Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), counsel to the petitioner, lauded the tribunal for a detailed judgement.
The SAN the added that the tribunal had proved that the judiciary remained the last hope of a common man by affirming the decision of the majority of the people of the state at the poll.
In an interview, counsel to Governor Abdullahi Sule, Mubarak Adekilekun, said the legal team would meet with the governor with a view to appealing the judgment.
Also speaking, the state chairman of All Progressives Congress APC , Aliyu Bello, said the party would appeal against the majority judgment relying on the dissenting Judgment.
On his part,the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP Chairman, Francis Orogu, described the judgment as victory for democracy and justice for people of Nasarawa state.
Meanwhile, governor Abdullahi Sule has described the tribunal judgement as a temporary set back to the state, stating that the judgement would not deter him.
The governor stated this at the Government house,Lafia, shortly after the judgement was delivered by the tribunal in Lafia.
According to governor Sule, what is needed and required from the Nasarawa people is to remain calm adding that he is ready to challenge the tribunal judgement up to the supreme court to obtain his legitimate mandate given to him by the Nasarawa .
“I employ all the citizens of the state to remain calm as every thing will be done to reclaim the legitimate mandate given to him and the ruling APC in the state”, Sule urged.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
