Court of Appeal Reverses Tribunal Decision, Upholds Governor Abdullahi Sule’s Election in Nasarawa State

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, has overturned the annulment of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s election in Nasarawa State.

The Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had previously nullified Governor Sule’s victory under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In Justice Uchechukwu Onuemenam’s lead verdict, the court declared that the tribunal’s decision, which ousted Governor Sule and declared the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) David Ombugadu as the rightful winner, was based on legally inadmissible evidence.

The court emphasized that the tribunal had erred in relying on the statements of eight witnesses from the PDP candidate, which were not filed with the petition as required by constitutional and electoral laws.

According to the appellate court, every written statement on oath must be submitted along with the petition within the statutory timeframe.

It pointed out that the tribunal failed to adhere to this requirement, leading to the acceptance of evidence that should have been excluded.

Consequently, the court struck out all evidence and exhibits presented by the eight witnesses.

The court further noted that the remaining 12 witnesses for the PDP candidate did not provide sufficient evidence to support the tribunal’s judgment.

It criticised the tribunal’s deduction of 1,868 votes from Governor Sule, citing over-voting in four polling units, highlighting that the petitioners failed to provide necessary documents to prove the allegation.

Additionally, the court found fault with the tribunal for summarily dismissing the evidence presented by witnesses for the APC candidate, considering it “perverse.” It argued that none of the PDP witnesses provided valid evidence for the tribunal to act upon.

The tribunal’s recomputation of votes and declaration of the PDP candidate as the winner were deemed erroneous by the appellate court.

In light of these findings, the Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Governor Sule, dismissing the majority judgment of the tribunal and vacating its order for the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return issued to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This decision marks a significant turn in the legal battle over the Nasarawa State governorship election.

Source: Vanguard News