A 5-man panel of the Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal by David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party, seeking to overturn the electoral victory of Governor Abdullahi Sule in Nasarawa State. Governor Sule was declared the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission with 347,209 votes, defeating Ombugadu, who polled 283,016 votes.
Displeased with the INEC results, Ombugadu and the PDP filed a petition at the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, challenging the election outcome. On October 2, 2023, the tribunal, in a split decision, declared Ombugadu as the validly elected governor of Nasarawa State.
However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja overturned the tribunal’s decision, affirming Abdullahi Sule’s election as Nasarawa State governor. The appeal court held that the tribunal was wrong in declaring Ombugadu the winner of the March 18 election.
Undeterred, Ombugadu appealed to the Supreme Court, seeking to challenge the appellate court’s decision. In a lead judgment, Justice Kudirat Kekere Ekun dismissed Ombugadu’s appeal as “devoid of merit, vexatious, and incompetent.” The panel unanimously held that all sister appeals abide by the instant judgment.
The Supreme Court’s decision affirms Governor Abdullahi Sule’s electoral victory, concluding the legal challenges to the Nasarawa State governorship election.
