The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Nasarawa State has reserved judgment on the petition challenging the outcome of the 2023 governorship election in the state. The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), David Ombugadu, filed the petition against the declaration of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election.
After the adoption of final written addresses by the petitioner and the respondents, the tribunal, chaired by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, reserved judgment. The tribunal assured the parties that the date of judgment would be communicated to them through their counsel.
The lead counsel for the petitioner, Kanu Agabi (SAN), argued that the election should be annulled due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act and that the PDP candidate should be declared the winner. He pointed out discrepancies between the votes recorded in the IREV portal and the final result declared.
On the other hand, counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, and Governor Sule urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition for lacking merit. The final judgment will determine the outcome of the election petition.