I am Senator WALID JIBRIN, a devout Fulani by tribe a devout Muslim and the Sarkin Fulani of Nasarawa state. i’m a former Senator and Former Chairman PDP Board of Trustees. I was also privileged to be the Chairman of the PDP Campaign Council that coordinated all PDP campaigns in Nasarawa state for the 2023 House of Assembly, National Assembly, the Governorship and Presidential elections in Nasarawa state. lam an elder over 70 years and | am very worried about what is going on in our country today. At my age I went round the whole of Nasarawa state during the last campaign. It was very clear everywhere we went that the people were no longer with the incumbent Governor Engr Audu Sule of the APC. From the 1st APC campaign outing in Toto Local Government the Governor was greeted by women and youths with street protest. They told him clearly that they were tired of his lack of performances and empty promises.
In fact Toto had been without electricity for almost ten years of APC governorship in our state. Everywhere the Governor and his team went the reception was cold and scanty which was a very clear signal that Governor Sule was out of touch with the needs and aspirations of the people of Nasarawa state.
I’m aware that after two years in office the Governor dismissed the advice from leaders and members of his party to fulfill his campaign promises.
Instead of listening to his party’s in-house advice to roll up his sleeves and work for the people, he flared up at them and publicly swore that he would do only one term and relocate abroad to live his life in peace!
I was therefore not surprised by the cold and in many places the hostile reception Engr Sule campaign witnessed across Nasarawa state.
The Presidential election on February 25 was the foretaste of things to come. In Nasarawa state the Ruling Party the APC came last! lt 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 Dr David Ombugadu.
Similarly, in Sule’s senatorial zone, he suffered crushing defeat after four years in office.
The situation in the Southern Zone was even worse for the Governor who was defeated flatly 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 Dr David 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, Governor Sule was overwhelmingly defeated as voters adding magic votes at the Local Government collation center just to declare the loser As winner to shock of all Nigerian!
We were all shocked by what happened because up to this day the results from polling units of Nasarawa state on the INEC IREV platform shows that Engr. Sule lost to Dr Ombugadu of the PDP! Instead of conceding defeat as is the case in true democracy the State government collided with INEC in Lafia to add massive figures to Sule’s vote just to declare him winner!
When Sule was declared protests by women and youths erupted all over the state.
The PDP showed maturity by rejecting the fraudulent declaration and following the due process of Law to reclaim Dr Ombugadu’s mandate.
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 18 Match 2023 governorship election in Nasarawa state!
As I said earlier Iam a devout Muslim and elder of over 70 years. I am shocked by Sule’s attempt to blame his defeat on religion rather than the overwhelmingly facts before
God and all Nigerians which show clearly that he didn’t win the last governorship election in Nasarawa state and should therefore honorably vacate the seat for the winner Dr David Ombugadu of the PDP!
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.
May I point out clearly that Dr. David Ombugadu is a candidate of both Muslims and Christians in the State. Dr. Ombugadu has never shown any sign of any campaign against Muslims even though he is Christian. After all, His Deputy is a true Muslim from the North Central Zone of the state. As the Governor of Nasarawa state, Dr. Ombugadu will be very fair to all citizens no matter Christian or Muslim. During his campaign, Dr. Ombugadu had similarly donated vehicles to JNI and NASFAT. Also, he donated several to the building of many Mosques in Nasarawa state. Water boreholes to Mosques, markets and churches for all.
In the whole Nigeria, Christain have emerged president of the country e.g General Yakubu Gowon, Chief Ernest Shonikan, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Jonathan. May I point out that those so called group of Muslims who are against the election of Dr. David Ombugadu to become the Governor of Nasarawa are never do well people and do not understand Islamic Religion very well and never receive total support of Nasarawa state citizens.
By good example of our Prophet Muhammed when the Muslims in Makkah were suffering attacks from non Muslims, Prophet gave them a letter to very responsible Christain King in Abyssnia that is present day Ethiopia. They were crying when they reached the palace of the king who asked his people to accommodate then by giving them Houses, Land and they remained part and parcel of Abyssinia.
Again when Prophet Muhammed saw that his people were equally brutalized in Makkah He trekked with them with some on camels until they reached Madina where the Prophet advised and asked all others to live together in peace and harmony. He formed Democratic Governance of unity in Madina.
In one of the wars in Makkah when Muslims conquered the rivals they left behind a young Christian Lady called Maryam who was later married to Prophet Muhammed and they lived in peace.
Above all; my Good People of Nasarawa State God has already chosen that Dr. Ombugadu will be the Governor of Nasarawa State at this. Both Muslims and Christian should therefore support the will of God in giving total support to Dr. David Ombugadu as the Governor of Nasarawa State.
My dear people of Nasarawa State let us continue to pray to Almighty ALLAH and make both Muslims and Christians work together and cooperate effectively to ensure that Dr. David Ombugadu is the Nasarawa State Governor with his Deputy who is a true Muslim with many of us Muslims so that our people will prosper and our communities shall develop.
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! Sule and everyone in Nasarawa state and Nigeria is 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.
The sad attempt to divide the Judiciary on religious lines will destroy the only institution that remains the last hope of the common man.
The judgment of the two jurists was based on fact and Gov Sule should speak to the facts rather them pleading Islam to divide public opinion in order to hand on to power after he had been clearly rejected by majority of voters in Nasarawa state.
lf we’re not careful with the politics of religion the whole country will be destroyed!
Nasarawa state is made up of Muslim and Christians almost in equal numbers and Dr Ombugadu will be the forts Christian to govern Nasarawa state since inception in 1996.
This is a beautiful opportunity to unite our state foe peace, good governances and democracy to nature!
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.
Governor Sule should ask other verdict of the electorate expressed clearly in favour of Dr David Ombugadu on the 18th of March as pronounced by the Tribunal of 2nd October 2023!
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 and the Nigerian judiciary!
Thank you very much gentlemen of the press and God bless you and all Nigerians.
