Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, in the lead judgment, resolved all the issues identified for determination, against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, David Ombugadu.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Friday upheld the election of Abdullahi Sule as the Governor of Nasarawa State.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, in the lead judgment, resolved all the issues identified for determination, against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, David Ombugadu.
The court therefore dismissed their appeal.
On Tuesday, SaharaReporters reported that the Supreme Court had reserved its judgment in the Nasarawa State governorship appeal filed by the PDP and its candidate, Ombugadu.
Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, who led a five-member panel of the apex court, on Tuesday announced, after lawyers to parties made their final submissions, that judgment was reserved and parties would be notified when it was ready for delivery.
The applicants – PDP and its candidate sought to set aside the November 23, 2023 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which reversed the earlier judgment of the election tribunal sacking Governor Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the state.
The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on October 2, 2023, sacked Governor Sule of the APC and declared Ombugadu of the PDP as winner of the election.
However, the APC and its candidate were not satisfied with the tribunal judgment, hence, they filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment.
The appellate court overturned the tribunal judgment and affirmed the election of the APC candidate, but the PDP candidate approached the Supreme Court for the final verdict on the matter.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Nasarawa State Police Command signed a peace agreement with the leaders of the PDP and the APC in the state ahead of the Supreme Court judgment.
Lat Thursday, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that there was disquiet in the opposition camp in Nasarawa State over the composition of the Supreme Court panel which would hear the governorship election case.
SaharaReporters learnt on Thursday that the Supreme Court's five-member panel would comprise Justice Kudirat M. O Kekere - Ekun - Lagos State; Justice Uwani Abba Aji - Yobe State; Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba - Zamfara State; Justice Ibrahim M. M Saulawa - Katsina State and Justice Tijani Abubakar - Yobe State.
SaharaReporters gathered that members of the opposition camp were agitated that two of the members of the panel were from Yobe State where the governor was believed to have originally hailed from.
“The APC national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, also played a role in securing the member of the panel from Katsina State. The Nasarawa State Governor Sule is originally from Yobe and two judges on the panel are from the same Yobe. We frown on this composition,” a member of the opposition camp who spoke on the condition of anonymity stated.