Natasha Akpoti finally gets senate seat as Appeal Court upholds tribunal verdict

Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been declared the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election held in February.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the election but her PDP opponent headed for the court.

The Kogi State Election Petitions Tribunal had declared her winner and invalidated the victory of Ohere.

The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako, delivered the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, revealing that Sen. Ohere’s results were inflated in nine polling units in the Ajaokuta Local Government Area.

He added that INEC reduced Natasha’s results in those areas and omitted the results of three other polling units meant for Natasha in the same LGA.

Following the necessary corrections, the court declared Natasha as the winner of the election with 54,074 votes, surpassing Ohere, who garnered 51,291 votes.

Ohere had rejected the verdict of the tribunal and filed an appeal, but he lost out as the appellate court declared the PDP candidate the authentic winner.