Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Sule as the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Nasarawa.
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has filed an appeal at the Makurdi Division of the Court of Appeal, Benue State, against the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal judgement that sacked him as the elected governor.
’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Sule as the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Nasarawa.
It reported that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), David Ombugadu, challenged the declaration of Sule as the winner of the election before the Nasarawa State Election Petition Tribunal.
He complained to the tribunal that his actual votes were unjustifiably reduced while that of Abdullahi Sule of the APC was increased to aid Sule to victory, particularly in the forms EC8Bs of Gayam and Chiroma Wards of Lafia Local Government Area.
After considering all the evidences adduced before the Tribunal, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi declared Ombugadu of the PDP as the lawfully elected governor of Nasarawa State.
The tribunal held that the petitioners duly proved their petition.
The tribunal in its decision deducted the incorrect votes added to Sule and accordingly added back the votes which were reduced from the overall votes of David Ombugadu as evident on the certified copies of the polling units results (forms EC8A) tendered by the Petitioners.
The tribunal also explained that the 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents did not produce any contrary set of forms EC8As throughout the trial.
But the governor rejected the decision of the tribunal, insisting that the petition lacked merit and ought to have been dismissed.
On Monday, Sule listed 27 grounds before the Makurdi Division of the Court of Appeal to fault the decision of the Justice Ezekiel Ajayi-led tribunal delivered virtually on October 2, 2023.
In a notice of appeal dated October 15, 2023, Sule urged the appellate court to set aside the decision of the lower court and affirm his victory as declared by INEC.
Joined in the appeal were Ombugadu, PDP, INEC and the All Progressives Congress (APC) as first, second, third and fourth respondents respectively.