Court Sacks Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State

Nasarawa State governorship poll tribunal has sacked Governor Abdullahi Sule.

The Tribunal in a split decision of two to one judge, declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, David Ombugbdu as the actual winner of the last March 18 governorship poll in the state.

Justice Ezekiel Ajayi reads the lead judgement on Monday in an application filed by the PDP candidate to challenge the results of the poll.

He ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to the governor, and re-issued it to the PDP candidate.

In the March 18 poll, INEC had credited the Governor Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 347,209 votes against 283,016 for the PDP candidate.

Earlier, the Tribunal had dismissed the suit filed by another opposition political party, the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) challenging the election of Governor Sule.

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The PDP Chairman Nasarawa State, Francis Orogu, said the judgment reflected the will of the people of state.

“We (PDP) want to thank the judges for doing the right thing. Today, we have been vindicated and whatever we have said from the beginning has come to pass. The truth is constant, it is only lies that can change,” Orogu said.

But Governor Abdullahi Sule told newsmen in Lafia that he had directed his lawyers to appeal the judgment.

Sule said, “Yes, the tribunal ruled against us but I remain the governor. There are other people who do not have that opportunity. I will appeal the judgment and whatever happens at that moment, I still remain the governor until we go to the Supreme Court.

“For some of us who may feel bad, what has happened is just a temporary setback. As the governor of the state, I am calling on all our (APC) supporters to remain calm. There is no need for any protest because we still believe in the judiciary, that is why we are going to the next level of the judiciary.”