By Olusegun Olanrewaju
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, yesterday congratulated the party’s governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, David Ombugadu, on his victory at the Nasarawa State Election Petition Tribunal.
In a social media message, Atiku said, “My warmest congratulations to Mr David Ombugadu of the PDP, who has been affirmed by the election petition tribunal in Lafia, Nasarawa State, as the state’s duly elected governor. Elections are the cornerstone of democracy, and the people’s will, once determined, should always be upheld.”
Ombugadu was declared the winner of the election by the tribunal yesterday after the tribunal found that the election was marred by irregularities and that Ombugadu had won the majority of lawful votes.
Ombugadu’s victory has been met with jubilation by his supporters and members of the PDP in Nasarawa State.
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In a video that has gone viral online, Ombugadu is seen looking very happy and is told by someone behind the camera, “Here is your governor.” He replies, “Where is my certificate,” implying the certificate of return which the tribunal ordered to be redrawn from Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Ombugadu.
Before that, the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had earlier nullified the victory of Governor Sule.
The three-man panel led by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, while delivering the judgment via Zoom, said Emmanuel Ombudagu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is the winner.
Ezekiel maintained that the petitioner was able to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt for alleged over-voting, and disruption of votes, among other irregularities.
Ex-Governors Abdullahi Adamu and Tanko Al-Makura were among other political dignitaries present at the court.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Lafia, declared Sule the winner of the governorship election in Nasarawa State in March.
INEC returning officer, Prof Ishaya Tanko, said the APC candidate polled a total of 347,209 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Ombugadu, the candidate of the PDP, who got 283,016 votes.
Reacting to the judgment, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said Ombugadu’s victory was a resounding affirmation of the people’s will. According to Saraki, democracy must be the bedrock of Nigeria.
He wrote: “I congratulate Hon. David Ombugadu of our great party, PDP, who has been declared the winner of the Nasarawa State governorship election by the Nasarawa State Election Petition Tribunal.
“This judicial victory is a resounding affirmation of the people’s will, and it serves as a reminder that democracy is and must always be the bedrock of our nation.”
