Sen. Abubakar Ohere’s victory in the Kogi Central Senatorial election was declared invalid on Wednesday by the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal.
The Kogi Central Senate election was held in February, and the court further proclaimed Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan the winner.
Ohere’s results were intentionally inflated in 9 polling units of the Ajaokuta LGA, according to the unanimous judgement of the 3-man panel, while Natasha’s results were purposefully cut in the same 9 polling units by the INEC Ward Collation staff, according to the Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako.
According to him, Natasha’s results from three other voting units were purposefully not entered into the same LGA.
The APC candidate, Abubakar Ohere, had his results inflated to 1553 from the actual 1031, according to the court, while Natasha’s results in the nine voting units of the Ajaokuta LGA were 1073 as opposed to the 77 that the Ward Collation officers had recorded.
The Tribunal is further persuaded that the petitioner’s 996 votes cast in the Ward Collation Centre for Polling Units 009, 046, and O49 in Ganaja Village, Ajaokuta LGA, were omitted on purpose.
According to the Tribunal, it is not the responsibility of the collation officers to reject results that the presiding officers present from polling places in elections that largely adhered to the electoral standards.
“The issues raised by the petitioner are hereby resolved in the petitioners’ favour, and after making the necessary corrections, Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan (PDP), who received 54,074 votes compared to Abubakar Ohere’s (APC), 51,291, is hereby declared the authentic winner,” the statement reads.
The third respondent (INEC) was later given the go-ahead by the tribunal to issue Natasha with the same certificate of returns that had previously been issued to Ohere.
In addition, the Court chastised INEC for willfully straying from its mandate of holding free and fair elections and collaborating with political parties to thwart the will of the people.
As a result, he mandated that INEC pay Natasha N500,000 as compensation for’subverting justice’ during the senatorial election.
Johnson Usman (SAN), the attorney for Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan, responded to the decision by stating that it now officially recognised the legitimate winner of the Logo Central election.
“This is a win for the citizens of Kogi Central Senatorial District, a win for Kogi as a whole, and a win for the electoral processes.
Yahaya Bello, the state’s governor, is a district resident.
