Atiku, Saraki Hail Umbugadu Over Nasarawa Gov’ship Victory At Tribunal

Former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, has congratulated the party’s governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Hon. David Umbugadu, over the latter’s triumph at the State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on Monday following his affirmation as the rightful winner of the March 18 election in the State.

Atiku, who took to his verified social media handles to react to the development, said elections are the cornerstone of democracy, and the people’s will, adding that, once determined, should always be upheld.

Also, former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, congratulated Hon. Umbugadu, who’s a former member of the House of Representatives, describing his judicial victory as a resounding affirmation of the people’s will, serving as a reminder that democracy is and must always be the bedrock of the nation.

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Atiku wrote: “My warmest congratulations to Mr David Ombugadu of the PDP, who has been affirmed by the election petition tribunal in Lafia, Nasarawa State, as the duly elected Governor of the state. Elections are the cornerstone of democracy, and the people’s will, once determined, should always be upheld. -AA.”

Saraki, who also took his verified social media handles on Monday evening, wrote: “I congratulate Hon. David Ombugadu of our great party, PDP, who has been declared the winner of the Nasarawa State Governorship election by the Nasarawa State Election Petition Tribunal.

“This judicial victory is a resounding affirmation of the people’s will, and it serves as a reminder that democracy is and must always be the bedrock of our nation.”

LEADERSHIP reports that in a split judgement of 2:1 by the three-man Tribunal chaired by Justice Ezekiel Ajayi, the majority judgement affirmed Umbugadu as the duly elected governor of Nasarawa State and not the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and incumbent governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Tribunal consequently ordered that the Certificate of Return given to the APC candidate be withdrawn and instead be given to the PDP candidate.