The Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal has declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of Kogi State Central Senatorial election.
Effectively, the tribunal nullified the victory of Senator Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan, Johnson Usman (SAN), said the judgment has now validated the true winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial Election.
“This is victory for the people of Kogi Central Senatorial district, victory for Kogi State and Nigeria in general as well as victory for the electoral processes.
It is the second seat the APC will lose in two days, though it retained the third seat won by Senator Sunday Karimi for Kogi West District. In the Kogi East Senatorial District, the tribunal ordered a rerun in 94 polling units.
Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako who read the unanimous judgment of the 3-man panel, said Ohere results were inflated in nine polling units of Ajaokuta LGA while that of Natasha was intentional reduced in the same polling units by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Ward Collation officers.
He also stated that three other polling units results was deliberately not entered for Natasha in the same LGA.
The Tribunal said that Natasha results in the nine polling units of Ajaokuta LGA was 1073 as 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.
“The Tribunal is also convinced that the petitioner’s 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 held that it is 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 issues raised by the petitioner is hereby resolved in favour of the petitioners and after making the proper correction, Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan (PDP) having polled 54,074 against Abubakar Ohere (APC) who polled 51,291 is hereby declared the authentic winner.”
The Tribunal subsequently ordered the 3rd respondent (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Returns 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.
He therefore ordered INEC to pay N500,000 to Natasha for ‘subverting justice’ in the Senatorial election.