From Esther Akaa, Lafia
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State says he has forgiven those who voted against him in the just concluded governorship election in the state.
The Voice earlier reported that Sule was declared the winner of the governorship election held on March 18th, 2023 after polling a total number of 347,209 votes to defeat his close rival, Dr David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 283,016 votes.
Sule who stated this on Monday in Government House, Lafia after his victory said he will not punish those who voted against him, saying that his victory at the poll was made possible with the help of God.
The governor said he was more concerned about the peaceful co-existence amongst residents of the state than the outcome of the election.
“All those who voted for me and those who voted against me, all belong to me. The best kind of forgiveness that the Almighty God wants is when you forgive someone even when you have the capacity to retaliate.
“We thank God that the election has come and gone peacefully. All the stories about the kind of problem that will happen, the type of insecurity that will happen, I was very much concerned about them than the election because I do not want my ambition to cause any fatality or the life of any citizen of Nasarawa State.
“I want to sincerely thank the electorates for supporting me, but in the process of celebrating this victory, let us do it with God in our minds knowing that the victory came from the Almighty God,” he said.
He appreciated the electorates for having confidence in him to pilot the affairs of the state for another four years, adding that his administration will continue to provide the dividends of democracy and work assiduously towards taking the state to greater heights.
He commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies in the state for carrying out their duties in a professional manner and also urged his contenders who lost the election to try again during the 2027 governorship election after the end of his second term in office.
The Voice reports that the governor who was first elected on the platform e All Progressives Congress ( APC) in 2019, secured 347, 209 votes in the contest with his closest challenger, David Ombugadu of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 283, 016 votes while Abdullahi Maidoya of the New Nigeria People’s Party scored 11,726 votes.
