On Monday, the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal rendered Governor Abdullahi Sule’s victory null and void. Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, heading a three-member panel, pronounced the judgment via a Zoom session, declaring Emmanuel Ombudagu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful winner. Two of the judges concurred that the PDP had indeed won the election, while one judge dissented from this view.
Justice Ezekiel emphasized that the petitioner had convincingly established their case beyond a reasonable doubt. It’s worth noting that during the court proceedings, notable political figures such as ex-Governors Abdullahi Adamu and Tanko Al-makura were in attendance.
To provide context, it’s worth recalling that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had initially declared Abdullahi Sule as the victor of the Nasarawa State governorship election in March. According to Prof. Ishaya Tanko, the INEC returning officer, the APC candidate secured a total of 347,209 votes, surpassing his closest rival, David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 283,016 votes.