A former Chairman, of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Walid Jibrin has claimed that the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, was aware of his alleged defeat during the March 18 governorship election in the state.
Jibrin who made this claim while speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, said Sule’s attempt to give a religious colouration to the tribunal judgment is wrong and unfounded.
According to him, Governor Sule and everyone in Nasarawa State and Nigeria were fully aware that Sule did not win the election and therefore should not be governor against the will of the people and the law.
Jibrin further explained that the sad attempt to divide the judiciary on religious lines would destroy the only institution that remains the last hope of the common man.
It would be recalled that the Nasarawa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal had sacked Sule as the governor of the state, during its recent judgement on the March 18 governorship election in the state.
The tribunal however declared the PDP governorship candidate, David Ombugadu as the duly elected governor of the state.
The governor has therefore considered the appeal, to challenge the judgement at the appellate court.
Reacting to the development, Jobrin said “It is therefore very shocking that instead of accepting the widely anticipated verdict of the tribunal, Governor Sule had decided to plead religion as the reason why he won’t leave office for Dr. David Ombugadu of the PDP who is the true winner of the 18 March 2023 governorship election in Nasarawa State.”
The PDP chieftain added that he is a devout Muslim and an elder of over 70 years, but expressed shock at Sule’s attempt to blame his defeat on religion rather than the overwhelming facts before God and all Nigerians which show clearly that he didn’t win the election.
He however warned Nigerians to be wary of the politics of religion as it is capable of destroying the country.
Jibrin noted that Nasarawa State is made up of Muslims and Christians almost in equal numbers, adding that Ombugadu will be the first Christian to govern the State since its inception in 1996.
According to him, it is a beautiful opportunity to unite the state for peace, good governance, and democracy.
