Appeal Court reserves judgment on Nasarawa Guber election

***as PDP candidate insists on Sule’s sack

From Daniel Abel, Lafia

Peoples Democratic party candidate in the March 18 governorship election in Nasarawa, David Emmanuel Ombugadu on Wednesday asked the appeal court sitting in Abuja to dismiss  the appeal filed by governor Abdullahi Sule and uphold the judgement of the tribunal which declared him winner of the election

Ombugadu who spoke through his lead counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN) insisted that he clearly won the election as such the appeal filedd by Abdullahi Sule be dismissed for lacking in merit.

Counsel to the PDP candidate, Chief Kanu Agabi  also asked the court to rely on the argument in his adopted brief and the  tribunal judgment to dismiss the appeal and affirm the judgment of the tribunal.

Chief Agabi urged the court to rely on his brief argument and the tribunal judgement  to affirm the election of his client, David Emmanuel Ombugadu

On the first mention of the case, the appellant counsel, Wole Olanikpekun SAN while adopting his five grounds of appeal argued that the governorship election tribunal was unfair to governor Abdullahi Sule in its judgment as the BVAS brought before the tribunal was not considered.

Meanwhile, the three man panel of Justices led by Justice Onyemenam U. after listening to all the parties in the matter ruled that the date for the judgment would be communicated to all the parties.

On the cross appeal filed by the PDP governorship candidate Emmanuel Ombugadu challenging the minority judgment delivered by one of the judges in the governorship election petition tribunal, Justice Onyemenam also reserved judgment to a later date to be communicated to all the parties.

Justice Onyemenam had earlier reserved judgment to a later date on a motion filed by counsel to Ombugadu seeking the court to strike out the appellant affidavit seeking to present additional facts before the court describing it as incompetent.

The governorship election petition tribunal had nullified the election of governor Abdullahi Sule affirming Emmanuel Ombugadu as the winner of the election.

Not satisfied with the judgment, governor Abdullahi Sule approached the court of appeal to reclaim his victory.