The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had initially declared Governor Abdullahi Sule as the winner on March 20, with 347,209 votes, surpassing his closest rival, David Emmanuel Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 283,016 votes.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the declared results, Ombugadu and the PDP, represented by their lead counsel Chief Godwin Kanu Agabi SAN, approached the tribunal seeking redress. The petition raised concerns about the alleged failure of the 2nd defendant (Gov Sule) to secure the majority of lawful votes and argued that the 1st petitioner (Ombugadu) should have been declared the rightful winner.

On October 2, in a leading judgment of 2-1, the tribunal upheld the petition (EPT/NS/GOV/01/2023), nullified Governor Sule's victory, and declared Ombugadu as the winner. The tribunal cited calculation errors that contributed to the declared victory of Governor Sule and ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate issued to him, awarding it to Ombugadu.

Governor Sule, dissatisfied with the tribunal's decision, sought redress in the Court of Appeal. The court, in Suit No: CA/MK/EP/GOV/NS/30/2023, asserted that Governor Sule was not afforded fair hearing during the tribunal proceedings. The court held that the tribunal erred in admitting evidence from subpoenaed witnesses whose statements were not presented alongside the petition. Consequently, the evidence of these witnesses and related exhibits were expunged from the court records as incompetent and struck out.

Led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam JCA, the panel nullified the tribunal's majority decision, reaffirming Governor Abdullahi Sule as duly elected and returned in the Nasarawa Governorship poll. This recent turn of events underscores the complexities and legal intricacies involved in electoral disputes, shaping the political landscape in Nasarawa State.