Gov. A. A. Sule, Governor, Nasarawa State.

NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia

The governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule says the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and his opponent in the March 2023 governorship election are muddling up facts and misleading the people on who won the polls. The governor said he won the election by ‘landslide’ and was duly confirmed by the courts, despite attempts by the opposition to “Snatch the mandate through the backdoor”.

Sule made his feeling known, against the backdrop of a video in which David Ombugadu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was allegedly seen saying in part, that “We are happier than those who stole our mandate” at the wedding ceremony of a son of the Party’s stalwart I Toto Local government Area of the State. He decried the use of the ceremony as a cover for a political party gathering when the time for campaigns is yet to open. A release signed by Hon. Peter Ahemba, Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Public Affairs, said the act is “Tantamount to insulting the sensibility of the people of Nasarawa State, who voted overwhelmingly for Engr. Abdullahi A Sule for a second term, after carefully assessing the impressive performance of his administration within the first four years”.

The statement noted that Sule was re-elected despite the sustained attacks against the Sule Administration. “It is on record that despite the malicious propaganda launched against the APC government, by the opposition PDP before the 2023 governorship election, the electorate of Nasarawa State rejected the Party and its candidate and voted overwhelmingly for Engr. Abdullahi Sule.” The governor who says he understands the pain associated with losing an election such as the governorship, advised his competitor not to give in to despair and throw caution to the winds. He implored them to hold fast and try again in the next electoral cycle. “It is high time Hon. David Ombugadu and his supporters come to terms with the reality of the outcome of the 2023 governorship election and wait till 2027 to try his luck again,” he added.

In furtherance of his developmental strides, the governor called on all to key in to ensure the progress of the State. “We call on all to and sundry to join hands with the Engr. Sule-led government to move the State forward,” concluding that the administration is on track to leave the State better than it met it.