The governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has warned David Ombugadu, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election, against attempting to undermine his electoral victory.

Ombugadu, who had challenged the electoral victory of Governor Sule to the Supreme Court, had reportedly said the governor stole the opposition party’s mandate at the weekend.

Reacting, Governor Sule, in a statement from Peter Ahemba, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, expressed displeasure over claims by the PDP that he “stole” their mandate in the last election. He accused the opposition party of repeatedly making misleading public statements, despite Sule’s landslide victory.

The statement also criticised Ombugadu and PDP leaders for a recent political incident during a wedding ceremony in Toto Local Government Area, where Ombugadu distributed campaign flyers.

“Turning a wedding into a political rally and campaigning for the 2027 elections is a clear breach of electoral law,” he said.

In response, Jonah Esla, media aide to Ombugadu, said, “Conscience is an open wound, and the circumstances leading to his declaration as winner are an open secret.”

He added that Ombugadu believes God is preparing him for future leadership, emphasising the PDP’s control over the state and Ombugadu’s continued influence across Nasarawa’s local governments.