Linus Oota, Lafia

 The Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi has upheld the decision of the election petition tribunal affirming the election of Abdullahi Sule as governor of Nasarawa State.

The superior court, presided by Justice Jumai Sankey, in its judgement, resolved all the five issues raised in the petition brought before it against the appellants, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its 2019 governorship candidate, David Ombugadu.

The court held that the appellants were unable to prove their case and therefore affirmed the verdict earlier given by the tribunal, which confirmed that Sule was legally and lawfully returned as governor of Nasarawa State.

Speaking on the judgement, counsel to the Nasarawa State governor, Dr. Mubarak Adekunle, hailed the decision of the Appeal Court.

“The Court of Appeal in Makurdi has just delivered its judgement. The court resolved all the five issues against the appellant.

“The tribunal struck out several paragraphs of their reply to Governor Sule’s reply. They appealed against that. The Court of Appeal affirmed it that the tribunal was very right, to have struck out all those paragraphs.

“On all the allegations which border on disenfranchisement, cancellation of votes, inflation of votes and deflation of votes, the Court of Appeal affirmed that the tribunal was right, that they were unable to prove their allegations.

“Finally, on whether Governor Sule was fully or properly returned as elected, the Court of Appeal also affirmed that having resolved all the allegations against the appellant, that they were unable to prove their case, affirmed the verdict of the tribunal, that Sule was legally, lawfully and properly returned as governor of Nasarawa State,” Adekunle stated.

Speaking on the judgement, speaker of the state Assembly, Ibrahim, Balarabe Abdullahi, described it as victory for democracy, peace and progress of the state.

He emphasised that the Appeal Court judgment had further reaffirmed the choice, wishes and aspirations of the people of the state and called on the opposition and indeed the entire people of the state to shun all forms of sentiments and join hands with the governor to build the state.

According to the speaker, with the trend of judgments been carried out in the country across party lines devoid of any sentiments, has demonstrated that the judiciary is indeed independent and doing the needful as the last hope of everyone.

The speaker who thumb up for judiciary, appreciated all the APC lawyers who worked day and night to prove the governor’s case, share his joy with the APC family just as he equally enjoined the governor to consolidate on the solid foundation he had put in place so far and continue to remain the father of all irrespective of political affiliation.