In a defiant response to the recent ruling by the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Nasarawa State, the Nasarawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has firmly rejected the tribunal’s decision to sack Governor Abdullahi Sule.
The tribunal’s verdict, delivered on Monday, declared David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful winner of the 2023 governorship election in the state, leading to the removal of Governor Sule from office.
Speaking at the APC secretariat in Lafia on Wednesday, the state Chairman of the party, Aliyu Bello, expressed the party’s strong disagreement with the tribunal’s ruling. He asserted that the tribunal made a significant error in declaring the PDP candidate as the victor and questioned the basis upon which such a decision was reached.
The Nasarawa APC highlighted that the legal arguments presented by both its legal team and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in opposition to the petition filed by Ombugadu and the PDP were robust and indisputable, making the tribunal’s decision all the more perplexing.
Despite this setback, the APC pledged unwavering support for Governor Abdullahi Sule’s decision to appeal the tribunal’s verdict. Chairman Aliyu Bello assured the governor of the party’s unwavering loyalty throughout the legal processes, expressing confidence that the Court of Appeal would rectify what they perceive as an erroneous decision.
Bello stated, “It is the candid and considered opinion of our great party, the APC that the election tribunal erred in arriving at its decision. Our great party, therefore, unequivocally, and categorically rejects the split judgment of the Tribunal of two to one annulling the re-election of His Excellency, Abdullahi Sule, for a second term, as the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State.”
The party urged Governor Sule to remain focused on providing good governance to the state and not be discouraged by the tribunal’s ruling. The APC also called for calm among its supporters while warning members of the PDP against any harassment or intimidation of residents under the guise of celebrating the tribunal’s decision.