The Supreme Court, has on Tuesday 16 January 2024, reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the People’s Democratic Party challenging the appeal court judgment that reinstated the governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule.
Hearing on the matter, the five-member panel led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun adjourned the matter for judgment after listening to the counsel’s arguments on the appeal. She noted that the parties would be notified when judgment is ready.
Recall that the state election petition tribunal had in October 02, 2023 sacked the governor and declared candidate of the opposing PDP David Ombugadu, winner of the March 18, 2023 election held in the state.
The tribunal led by Ezekiel Ajayi, in a split decision of two-to-one, held that having examine the evidence before the panel, the PDP candidate substantiated his claim that the poll results were manipulated in favor of Sule.
Dissatisfied with the tribunal judgment, Sule challenged the judgment in the appeal court where he was reinstated.
The lower court held that the tribunal wrongly relied on the evidence of eight of the PDP witnesses, whose statements on oath were not front-loaded alongside the petition. The battle took PDP’s Ombugadu to however, appealed the judgment at the Supreme Court.
