Toba Owojaiye reporting
Abuja, Nigeria
In a pivotal development, the Supreme Court is set to render its final judgement on Friday, January 19th, regarding the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 gubernatorial election. The appeal, spearheaded by David Ombugadu, challenges the reinstatement of Governor Abdullahi Sule by the Court of Appeal.
Truth Lives News traced the legal battle back to the March 18, 2023, governorship election in Nasarawa State, where Engr AA Sule emerged as the governor initially.
However, the tribunal outcome favored Ombugadu, a decision later overturned by the Court of Appeal, reinstating Governor Sule. The ongoing legal battle has been a tense standoff between Ombugadu and Sule.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, presiding over the case, has reserved the judgement to an undisclosed date, following the adoption of briefs of argument by counsels to both appellants and respondents.
This high-stakes legal drama extends beyond Nasarawa State, as the Supreme Court also reserved judgement in a parallel appeal filed by Major General Aminu Bande, the PDP governorship candidate in Kebbi State. This case challenged the election of Nasir Idris of the APC as the governor of Kebbi State.
Last year, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sule the winner of the March 18 governorship election, with 347,209 votes, surpassing Ombugadu’s 283,016 votes. However, the tribunal, chaired by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, controversially declared Ombugadu as the lawfully elected governor of Nasarawa State.
Governor Sule, dissatisfied with the tribunal ruling, appealed to the Court of Appeal in Abuja. On November 23, the appellate court, led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, reversed the earlier decision, asserting that the tribunal had erred in its judgment. The court highlighted the improper use of witness statements not front-loaded within the stipulated 21 days, as required by law.
The Supreme Court’s imminent verdict has intensified the suspense surrounding this case, leaving stakeholders on the edge of their seats. The outcome on January 19th will undoubtedly shape the political landscape and determine the rightful occupant of the governor’s seat in Nasarawa State.