Tribunal Sacks APC Senator, Declares PDP’s Natasha As Kogi Central Winner

The election petition tribunal sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, has declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the winner of the February 25 Kogi central senatorial district election.

The tribunal, led by Kemakolam Orjiako, in its ruling on Wednesday, declared Akpoti-Uduaghan after hearing the arguments of the petition in July.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the Kogi central senatorial election.

Orjiako who read the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, said Ohere’s results were inflated in nine polling units of Ajaokuta Local Government Area (LGA) while that of Natasha was intentionally reduced in nine of the same polling units by INEC, as well as three other polling units that was deliberately not recorded for Natasha in the same LGA.

The court after making the proper correction, declared Natasha Akpoti- Uduagan (PDP) as winner of the poll having polled 54,074 against Ohere (APC) who polled 51,291.

Previous result polled as announced by Rotimi Ajayi, INEC returning officer for the district, revealed that Sadiku-Ohere garnered 52,132 votes to beat Natasha who had 51,763 votes.