The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reversed the earlier tribunal ruling, upholding Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the legitimate winner of the Nasarawa Governorship poll conducted on March 18, 2023.
The tribunal's decision on October 2, which had initially nullified Gov Sule's victory and declared David Emmanuel Ombugadu of the PDP as the winner, was overturned by the Appeal Court. The panel, led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, cited procedural flaws, particularly concerning the testimony of subpoenaed witnesses, as grounds for expunging evidence and striking out the case.
The legal battle began when Ombugadu, dissatisfied with the INEC-declared results, approached the tribunal, alleging calculation errors that favored Gov Sule. However, the Appeal Court, emphasizing the lack of fair hearing, deemed the tribunal's decision flawed and reinstated Gov Sule as the duly elected governor.
This legal saga adds a new chapter to the Nasarawa political landscape, sparking discussions on the intricacies of the judicial process and its implications for the state's governance.
