Sule to PDP members: Protests against my victory at Supreme Court in vain
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
Nasarawa Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has said those protesting against the affirmation of his victory in the March 18 governorship election by the Supreme Court were doing so in vain as their opposition cannot change the decision of the apex court.
The Governor spoke at Aso Rock presidential villa on Friday few hours after the Supreme Court affirmed his victory in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.
Justices of the apex court had in a unanimous judgment dismissed the appeal filed by Mr David Ombugadu, the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the election challenging the victory of Sule who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The Court ruled that the appeal of the PDP candidate against the judgment of the Court of Appeal affirming Sule’s victory lacked merit.
However, some PDP members immediately after the judgment took to the streets of Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State in protests against the verdict of the apex court.
They blocked the road connecting Lafia to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT in protest against the Supreme Court judgment.
But speaking to journalists after meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa, Governor Sule said it is not strange that the decision of the Supreme Court will not be acceptable to some people in the state.
Sule, who was in the company of his two predecessors in office however said the protesters should accept that the Supreme Court is the final arbiter in election disputes in Nigeria and as such, their protests will not change anything.
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While praising the Supreme Court for ensuring “fairness without undue interference” Sule called on all citizens, irrespective of political affiliations, to join hands in building the state.
“Nasarawa is a state where we had over 600,000 votes and we won with over 340,000 votes, so you will know that over 200,000 people did not vote for us. So if out of these 200,000 people who did not vote for us and another set of 1,000 people are protesting somewhere, then you will know because it’s a day that not everybody will be happy.
“In every state where the Supreme Court actually passed judgment in every one of these states, you will find some people are happy and some other people not happy. But I think people who understand what democracy is all about will understand that the Supreme Court is the ultimate and is the final and those who appreciate or respect democracy should actually leave it right there because protests or no protest will not change anything, the Supreme Court has already passed his judgment.
“In our own case, when we lost at the tribunal, we told everybody, nobody should protest and that’s why nobody protested, but that is the level of maturity that you will see from one political party or the other. We are a very mature political party, we’re the ruling party in the country, we’re the ruling party in the state and we’re showing a good example, so that’s why we will not protest.”
He noted that the APC had also won unanimously at the Court of Appeal before the victory at the apex court.
He said with the court battles over, the next stage for him will be to concentrate on the development of the state.
“All the issues, as far as elections are concerned, are over today. We call on our opponents, without any grudge whatsoever, to come and join us so we can build our state. Nasarawa State is next to Abuja. Nasarawa State is today in the North-Central, the only state that has commercial quantity discovery of oil.
“It is the only state, so far, that is building mineral processing plants. We already have one of the lithium factories almost concluded and as you know, it is also a state that we are very lucky where we have agriculture that is flourishing. In fact, on my right hand, is the biggest local farmer that we have in the state and he’s rushing to go back for his harvest because he’s started harvesting”, he said.
