Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has upheld the election of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan as the winner of February 25, Kogi Central Senatorial poll.
The three-member panel on Tuesday affirmed the judgment of the state’s election tribunal and dismissed the appeal filed by Sen. Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The court also resolved that the submission by the counsel for Akpoti-Uduagan, Mr Joshua Usman, SAN, is meritorious.
To this end, the appellate court awarded the sum of N500, 000 against Ohere.
The Kogi State National and State Assemblies Tribunal had on September 6, declared Akpoti-Uduagan the duly elected candidate of the senatorial poll.
The tribunal also invalidated the victory of Sen. Ohere.
Chairman of the tribunal, Justice K. A. Orjiako delivered the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, adding that Sen. Ohere’s results were inflated in nine polling units in Ajaokuta Local Government Area.
He said that the Independent National Electoral Commission reduced Natasha’s results in those areas and omitted the results of three other polling units meant for Natasha in the same LGA.
Given the corrections, the court declared Natasha as winner of the election with 54,074 votes, surpassing Ohere, who polled 51,291 votes.
Not satisfied with the INEC declaration, Ohere approached the Court of Appeal seeking to upturn the election.
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