Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the Peoples Democratic Party has been declared the victor in the Kogi Central Senatorial election held in February by the Kogi State Election Petitions Tribunal.
By extension, the judgment also invalidates the victory of Senator Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Justice K. A. Orjiako, the Chairman of the Tribunal, delivered a unanimous decision on behalf of the three-member panel, exposing that Senator Ohere’s vote tally was artificially increased in nine polling stations within the Ajaokuta Local Government Area.
Continuing, he stated that Natasha’s results saw a reduction in those regions by the Independent National Electoral Commission, and additionally, they chose to exclude the results of three other polling units initially allocated to Natasha within the same local government area.
After a proper correction was made, the court declared Natasha as the winner of the election with 54,074 votes, while Ohere, only had 51,291 votes.
Recall that the tribunal had on Tuesday sacked Senator Jibrin Isah, the Senate Committee Chairman on Customs Excise and Tariffs, on the ground that elections were cancelled in some 94 polling units.
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The Tribunal also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election in the affected 94 polling units.
The tribunal Chairman, Justice K.A. Orjiako, who delivered the judgment on the petition brought before it by Dr. Victor Adoji, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), agreed with the prayers of Adoji.
Adoji, through his Counsel, Mr Johnson Usman (SAN), challenged the return of Jibrin Isah on the grounds that elections were cancelled in some polling units where the PVCs collected were more than the margin of his (Chocho’s) win.
The petitioner had pleaded with the tribunal to annul the election of Isah and order a supplementary election in the affected 94 polling units in the senatorial district.
Delivering a unanimous judgment of the Tribunal, Justice K.A. Orjiako agreed with the submission of Usman and annulled Isah’s victory and ordered the withdrawal of his certificate of return.
“Since the PVCs collected in the 94 polling units is 59,730 while the margin of win is 26,922 votes, the Returning Officer ought to have declared the election inconclusive without making a return.