Nasarawa: PDP rejects Appeal Court verdict, Heads for Supreme Court

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has concluded plans to appeal the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which upturned the removal of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the March election but David Ombugadu of the PDP […]

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has concluded plans to appeal the judgement of the Court of Appeal, which upturned the removal of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the March election but David Ombugadu of the PDP headed for the tribunal.

According to INEC, Sule polled a total of 347,209 votes to defeat his closest opponent, who secured 283,016 votes.

However, in a split decision on October 2, the tribunal nullified Sule’s election and upheld Ombugadu as the winner.

But Sule, through his counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), asked the appellate court to upturn the judgment of the tribunal and allow his own appeal.

Olanipekun argued that the tribunal refused to take the submissions of their witnesses during the tribunal hearing, adding that the BVAS data were merely dumped before the tribunal without being considered as evidence.

A three-member panel of justices unanimously held on Thursday that the Nasarawa State Election Petition Tribunal erred in law in concluding that Sule did not win majority of the votes cast in the election.

The appellate court subsequently set aside the judgment of the tribunal and affirmed the re-election of Sule as Governor of Nasarawa State.

Reacting, Francis Enokela Orogu, State Chairman of PDP in Nasarawa, in a statement said the party after careful consideration and consultation with its legal team, disagreed with the judgment.

“While we respect the judiciary and the rule of law, we firmly believe that the decision by the Court of Appeal does not align with the facts presented during the tribunal proceedings. Our legal team has identified significant grounds for appeal that we believe warrant a review of the judgment by the Supreme Court.

“Our party will be filing an appeal to the Supreme Court seeking a fair and thorough review of the judgement of the Court of Appeal. We have confidence in the legal system and are optimistic that justice will prevail.

“The PDP in Nasarawa State remains committed to upholding the democratic process and ensuring that the voice of the people is accurately represented. We continue to assert that the election results, as initially determined by the election tribunal, are a true reflection of the will of the people of Nasarawa State.

“We urge our teeming supporters, party faithful, and the general public to remain calm and maintain confidence in the democratic institutions and the judicial system of our great country. While we wonder and ponder on the magic judgement of the appeal court of our great country Nigeria, we appreciate the support and solidarity shown by our members throughout this period, we urge our members and supporters to consider this judgment as a temporary setback.

“The struggle for justice is one that requires resilience and patience. The PDP in Nasarawa State is resolute in its commitment to the principles of democracy and the pursuit of justice for the people,” the statement read in part