NASARAWA/Grumbles Over Tribunal Verdict

Against the prediction of many political analysts, the Nasarawa State Governorhip and Legislative Houses Tribunal last Tuesday upheld the election of Governor Aliyu Akwe Doma.

Mr. Solomon Ewuga, the governorship candidate of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, had gone to the tribunal to challenge INEC’s declaration of the PDP candidate as governor, alleging among other things massive electoral malpractice.

After a lengthy legal battle that involved the use of a fingerprint expert called in from the United Kingdom by Mr. Ewuga, the tribunal decided that he failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt. The former FCT minister’s petition was consequently dismissed in its entirety, with N50,000 costs awarded against him.

The tribunal’s verdict dashed Ewuga’s third attempt to become governor of the state.

It, however, appears that not only Ewuga was disappointed by the judgment. Lafia, the capital of the state, literally went into mourning immediately news of his loss spread round the town. The usually heavy vehicular and human traffic became noticeably reduced, leaving hundreds of security agents posted to the state capital to roam the lonely streets.

An aide of the governor who prefers anonymity revealed: “We did not expect the judgment to go this way at all. At best we thought the tribunal would annul the election and order fresh election in the disputed five local governments to determine the winner.” Most of his colleagues in government share the same view.

But Governor Doma claimed in a statewide broadcast on Tuesday evening that the legal victory “is no doubt a triumph, not only for us in the Peoples Democratic Party but indeed, for democracy in Nasarawa State”.

He, however, betrayed his unease that the judgment could throw the young state into protest when he resorted to warning that his “administration will not tolerate any acts of lawlessness, threat to peaceful coexistence and reckless disregard for rule of law by anybody or any community”. He advised religious, community and opinion leaders to call their people to order.

A trader who spoke to this magazine said the apathy shown by people to the governor’s court victory depicted their dissatisfaction with his leadership. “The man has not done anything since he came. He would have won even members of the opposition to his side if they had seen him embark on road construction and other projects which his predecessor failed to do,” he said.

But Alhaji Mustapha Aliyu, the state Commissioner for Information, said the governor is a very modest person who has simply chosen not to celebrate his achievements. He said now the case is over, the people of the state should rally round the governor to enable him bring the desired development the state is yearning for.

—Reported by SUNDAY ORINYA.

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