• ‘It’s better to die than live with pain of injustice’
• Nasarawa PDP campaign council denies celebrating Sule’s victory

Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa, was at a standstill for hours, yesterday, as angry protesters disrupted vehicular movement along Makurdi-Akwanga highway following Appeal Court reversing of the state governorship election tribunal ruling.

The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of justices, voided the verdict of the Nasarawa State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which sacked Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court held that evidence before it established that the tribunal relied on legally inadmissible evidence to declare the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), David Ombugadu, as the valid winner of the governorship election that held in the state on March 18.

The protesters’ spokesperson, Abdul Isa, told The Guardian that the protest became necessary because the people of Nasarawa could no longer endure the rot going on at the Appeal court.

“We are out to peacefully resist the mischievous judgment of the Court of Appeal. How could the Appeal Court dismiss the judgment of the tribunal with the overwhelming evidences presented?

“We don’t have patience any more. Injustice is the worst crime against humanity. People are sick, devastated and traumatised with what the Court of Appeal is doing in the name of judgement.

“Nobody should tell us to stop protesting, tell Appeal Court to stop making the temple of justice a business centre to cash out for some judges.
“We are starting in Nasarawa and we want all those who are aggrieved with the injustices to follow suit. This is the only country we have. Our democracy must be allowed to survive.”

The group called on President Ahmed Tinubu to wade into the ongoing twist and interference desecrating the temple of justice currently brewing at the Appeal Court across the nation if he truly has Nigeria and Nigerians in mind.

The group went further to appeal to the conscience of the judiciary to put the interest and future of the citizens and the country first, noting that if what is happening at the Courts of Appeal continues, the country may collapse on everybody not spearing the judges either.

Protesters made up of women and youths chanted ‘no going back’, ‘free us from the siege of injustices’.

Others carried placards with inscriptions like Nasarawa cries for help, Tinubu save us’; ‘Like INEC, like Appeal court; ‘Our vote was Democratic and not on technicalities’; ‘God bless judges who still fear God’ and ‘Supreme Court our last hope’.

Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State PDP Campaign Council has denied reports suggesting that its Director General and former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, celebrated the Appeal Court victory of Sule.
The council, in a statement by its Director, Media and Publicity, Mike Omeri, demanded immediate retraction and an unreserved apology from the media outfit.

“We demand an immediate retraction of the false report and tender an unreserved apology or they should be prepared to meet us in court.”

The council said it remained steadfast in its commitment to restoring the electoral mandate of its governorship candidate, Dr. David Ombugadu as earlier announced by the PDP State Chairman, Mr. Francis Emokela Orogub that the party will seek redress against the erroneous judgment of the Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court.