The Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday nullified the Victory of Sen.Abubakar Ohere as the winner of the kogi Central Senatorial election.
The court further declared Natasha Akpoti- Uduagan as the actual winner of the February 25, 2023 Senatorial election in Kogi Central.
The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako who read the unanimous judgment of the 3-man panel, said Ohere’s results were inflated in 9 polling units in Ajaokuta LGA while that of Natasha was intentionally reduced in the same 9 polling units by the INEC Ward Collation officers.
The court said Natasha’s results in the 9 polling units of Ajaokuta LGA was 1073 against the 77 that was recorded by the Ward Collation officers while that of the APC candidate, Abubakar Ohere was inflated to 1553 against the actual figure of 1031.
He also said that results from 3 other polling units were deliberately not entered for Natasha in the same LGA and the Tribunal was therefore convinced that the petitioners 996 votes in polling units 009, 046 and O49 polling units of Ganaja village of Ajaokuta LGA was deliberately not recorded at the Ward Collation centre.
The Tribunal further noted it was not the duty of Collation officers to reject results submitted by Presiding officers from polling units in election that followed the electoral guidelines substantially.
The tribunal averred that the issues raised by the petitioner was hereby resolved in favour of the petitioners and after making the proper correction, Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the PDP having polled 54,074 against Abubakar Ohere of the APC who polled 51,291 and thereby declared Natasha the authentic winner.
The Tribunal subsequently ordered the 3rd respondent (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ohere and Issue same to Natasha.
The Court also chided INEC for deliberately going out of its mandate of conducting a free and fair election to conniving with political parties to subvert the will of the people.
The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako, therefore ordered INEC to pay N500,000 to Natasha for ‘subverting justice’ in the Senatorial election.
Responding to the judgment, counsel to Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan, Johnson Usman, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the judgment has now validated the true winner of the KOGI Central election.
The counsel To Natasha, Insists the victory is for the people of Kogi Central Senatorial district, for Kogi people generally and for democracy.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
