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| governor of nasarawa state |
Nasarawa State Governor Sacked by Tribunal, PDP Candidate Declared Winner
The Nasarawa State Governorship Election Tribunal has removed Governor Abdullahi Sule of the APC from office. The tribunal’s chairman, Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, delivered the verdict via Zoom and declared David Ubugadu of the PDP as the rightful winner of the governorship election. The tribunal found that Sule’s election was marred by irregularities and non-compliance with the electoral laws.
The tribunal’s verdict came after a petition filed by Ubugadu, who challenged the outcome of the March 9, 2023 governorship election in Nasarawa State. Ubugadu claimed that he scored the highest number of valid votes cast in the election and that Sule was not qualified to contest the election. He also alleged that there were widespread cases of over-voting, ballot stuffing, alteration of results, and intimidation of voters in favour of Sule.
The tribunal agreed with Ubugadu’s claims and invalidated the results of 13 local government areas where Sule had won. The tribunal also ordered a fresh election in those areas within 90 days. The tribunal said that Sule failed to prove his educational qualification and that his nomination by the APC was invalid.
The verdict has sparked mixed reactions from the supporters of both parties. While Ubugadu and his supporters celebrated the tribunal’s decision as a victory for democracy and justice, Sule and his supporters expressed shock and disappointment over the ruling. Sule said that he would appeal the verdict at the Court of Appeal, saying that he had faith in the judiciary to uphold his mandate.
