PDP supporters protest supreme court verdict upholding Sule as Nasarawa governor while APC jubilate

Members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa state have staged a protest against the Supreme Court decision that upheld the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.

Shortly after the Supreme Court upheld the election of Abdullahi Sule of the APC, supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the election, David Ombugadu blocked the Lafia -Jos road of the state to express their displeasure over the verdict.

The protest later led to a blockade of roads and burning of tires which led to shops and business centres including schools within the Lafia metropolis being closed.

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the appeal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate David Umbugadu against the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.

The panel of justices in a unanimous decision dismissed it for lack of merit.

On October 2, the Election Petition Tribunal in Lafia nullified Governor Sule’s victory and declared David Ombugadu as the winner of the poll.

Consequently, Governor Sule and the All Progressives Congress (APC) sought to overturn the verdict by appealing the judgment of the tribunal

The court of appeal in its judgment on November 23, faulted the verdict of the tribunal and affirmed Sule’s election as governor.

The appeal court upheld that the tribunal relied on legally inadmissible evidence to declare Ombugadu as the winner of the March 18 poll.

According to the appellate court, the tribunal wrongly relied on the evidence of eight of the PDP witnesses whose statements on oath were not front-loaded alongside the petition.

Meanwhile as the news of the judgement reached Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, there was instant jubilation, in the APC circle in celebration of the legal victory.

A woman who simply identified herself as Amina told BusinessDay that “we overwhelmingly voted for Governor Abdullahi Sule despite the strong opposition of the PDP”.

Reports of jubilation over the judgement also hit other local government areas in the state.

When BusinessDay went around Lafia, the state capital, there was heavy security presence at strategic locations to curtail possible breakdown of law and order.