The Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Lafia, has delivered a significant verdict by removing the incumbent Governor, Abdullahi Audu Sule of the APC, who was declared the winner of the March 18 Gubernatorial poll. The tribunal ruled that the first petitioner, David Emmanuel Ombugadu of the PDP, was duly elected with the majority of lawful votes cast.
In March, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Sule the winner with 347,209 votes, defeating Dr. Ombugadu of the PDP, who secured 283,016 votes. Subsequently, Ombugadu and the PDP approached the tribunal, challenging the election's outcome.
The PDP alleged connivance and computational errors by state INEC officials, citing discrepancies between the Returning Officer's announced results and INEC Certifies True Copies (CTCs), Polling Unit results, and IREV portal results. According to their documents, the PDP emerged as the winner with a margin of 4,130 votes.
The tribunal dismissed objections raised by the APC and considered the merits of the petition, ultimately ruling in favor of the PDP and Ombugadu. By a majority decision of 2 to 1, the tribunal upheld the petitioners' claims that the votes were inflated, leading to the incumbent's removal and affirming Ombugadu as the duly elected governor.
This decision marks a significant political development in Nasarawa State, with potential implications for the state's leadership.
