The Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), a Civil Society Organization, has formally requested that 11 influential nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, China, Saudi Arabia, Australia, South Africa, and the European Union, impose severe sanctions and visa restrictions on Nasarawa State Governor Engr. Abdullahi Sule and Professor Ishaya Tanko. These measures are in response to their involvement in the March 18 gubernatorial elections in Nasarawa State.

During a press conference, the CLO President, Mr. Igho Akeregha, revealed that they have submitted petitions to the respective governments through their Nigerian embassies. He emphasized the need to take action against those who pose a threat to Nigeria’s democracy by acting undemocratically.

The CLO alleges that following the Election Petitions Tribunal’s decision to nullify Engineer Abdullahi Sule’s election as governor and declare Hon. David Ombugadu of the People’s Democratic Party as the winner, Governor Sule has been making statements that undermine the judiciary’s independence and could jeopardize the country’s unity.

Speaking further he stated that “A day after the election on March 19, 2023, the CLO said the Independent National Electoral Commission had promised to declare the result of the governorship poll at 9 am the following day which is March 20, 2023.

“However, for inexplicable reasons, the State Returning Officer Professor Tanko Ishaya, the Vice Chancellor of University of Jos emerged five hours earlier than promised at 4am while most people were still asleep and declared APC’s Sule winner. According to Prof Ishaya, APC’s Sule polled 347,209 votes to defeat PDP’s David Ombugadu whom he claimed scored 283,016 votes.

“This was followed by days of public rage and protests as the electorates accused Prof Ishaya of manipulating the results. Nasarawa state witnessed widespread turbulence over what the electorates saw as a rape of democracy.

“Everyone had expected Ombugadu to be declared as winner since he was leading with an unassailable margin in all the 12 of the 13 local government areas announced at the time with results of only two Wards being awaited from the 13th LGA being Lafia. But while providing the breakdown for Lafia LGA, Prof. Ishaya falsely and deliberately claimed that Sule polled 107, 213 votes against Ombugadu’s 41, 494, a difference of 57,619 votes.

In the landmark judgment, the Tribunal on Monday October 2nd, 2023, dismissed the fraudulent results announced by Prof Tanko Ishaya and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Lafia Local Government Area and declared that David Ombugadu indeed won the election.

The Tribunal ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return earlier awarded the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Abdullahi Sule, and hand same over to Ombugadu.

The group maintained that Nigeria is the biggest black democracy in the world and the most populated black nation on earth adding that the country needs the support of the international community for its democracy to survive.