The former Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustee (BOT) Chairman, Senator Walid Jibril, has urged Governor Abdullahi Sule to take the part of honor and stop heating the polity by creating religious sentiment over the recent Governorship Election Tribunal judgement that annulled his declaration as winner.
Senator Walid stated this yesterday while addressing a world conference following an utterance made by Governor Sule, whereby he attempted to give a religious coloration to the October 2 tribunal judgement.
Walid said, “I am a devout Muslim and an elder of over 70 years. I am shocked by Sule’s attempt to blame his defeat on religion rather than the overwhelming facts before God and all Nigerians which showed clearly that he didn’t win the last governorship election in Nasarawa.
“The sad attempt to divide the judiciary on religious lines will destroy the only institution that remains the last hope of the common man.
“Sule and everyone in Nasarawa State and Nigeria was fully aware that Sule did not win the election and therefore, should not be governor in Nasarawa against the will of the people and the law.”
Adding: “It is therefore very shocking that instead of accepting the widely anticipated verdict of the tribunal, Governor Sule had decided to plead religion as reason why he won’t leave office for Dr. David Ombugadu of the PDP who is the true winner of the March 18, 2023, governorship election in Nasarawa State.
Walid appealed to Nigerians to be wary of the politics of religion as it is capable of destroying the country.
“If we are not careful with the politics of religion, the whole country would be destroyed.
“Nasarawa State is made up of Muslims and Christians almost in equal numbers and Dr. Ombugadu will be the first Christian to govern Nasarawa State since inception in 1996. This is a beautiful opportunity to unite our state for peace, good governance and democracy.
“Since the creation of Nasarawa State, the Governor has always been a Muslim and there was no any religious fight in the whole of Nasarawa State.
“Late Akwai Doma was defeated by Governor Almakura and he accepted the verdict without creating any form of tension. Almakura defeated a sitting Senator Adokwe of the PDP and he never instigated any religious war. Same Almakura was defeated by Onawo Ogoshi and no tension was created.
“May I point out that those so-called group of Muslims who are against the election of Ombugadu to become the Governor of Nasarawa are never do well people and do not understand Islamic religion very well, and never received total support of Nasarawa citizens.
“Islam does not approve of robbery or injustice or cheating your neighbor on the basis of religion. Islam is first and foremost about truth, fear of God and justice. The sad attempt to divide the Judiciary on religious lines will destroy the only institution that remains the last hope of the common man.”
Walid noted that the judgment of the two jurists was based on fact and Gov. Sule should speak to the facts rather than pleading Islam to divide public opinion in order to hold on to power after he had been clearly rejected by majority of voters in Nasarawa State.
The former BOT Chairman of the PDP explained that during the campaign which he actively participated ahead of the governorship election, it was obvious that the people of Nasarawa rejected governor Sule.
“The Presidential election on February 25 was the foretaste of things to come. In the state the ruling Party, the APC came last, it was clear there won’t be any miracle for APC in the governorship election which was just two weeks ahead.
“In the governorship election, Governor Sule suffered crippling defeat as voters in his Local Government of Akwanga overwhelmingly rejected him and voted massively for the PDP Governorship candidate, Ombugadu.
“Similarly, in Sule’s Senatorial District, he suffered crushing defeat after four years in office. The situation in the Southern Zone was even worse for the Governor who was defeated flat in Lafia, the State Capital and in Doma Local Govt, where his Deputy, Dr. Akabe hails from.
“Obi Local Government also rejected him and voted massively for Ombugadu of the PDP. These are the most populous LGAs in the Southern zone.
“In the West Senatorial zone, only Keffi gave Sule any real winking votes. He was defeated in Kokona where the state Chairman of APC hails from and in Karu which has the highest numbers of registered voters in our state.
“We in the North Central must learn from Yoruba land where there is peace because Muslims and Christians avoid politics of religion and rather vote those will solve their problems.
“I congratulate the jurists for standing by the truth rather than the fake votes that were added to wrongfully declare Sule as winner. We also rejoice that the members shunned all material inducements to stand by the truth despite sundry pressures!
“The Nasarawa Governorship Tribunal verdict is victory for truth; victory for our democracy and victory for Nasarawa State, and Nigerian judiciary”, Walid stated.
