The Court of Appeal, Abuja has affirmed Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial District election held in February.
The three-member panel, in its judgment on Tuesday, upheld the judgment of the state’s election tribunal.
It dismissed the appeal filed by Senator Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress.
The court agreed with the submission of counsel for Akpoti-Uduagan, Joshua Usman (SAN), for being meritorious.
The appellate court also awarded the sum of N500,000 against the Ohere.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Kogi State National and State Assemblies Tribunal had on September 6, 2023 declared Akpoti-Uduaghan the validly elected candidate for the poll.
The tribunal also invalidated the victory of Ohere.
The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako, delivered the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, revealing that Ohere’s results were inflated in nine polling units in Ajaokuta Local Government Area.
Orjiako added that the Independent National Electoral Commission reduced Akpoti-Uduaghan’s results in those areas and omitted the results of three other polling units meant for her in the same LGA.
Following the necessary corrections, the court declared her as the winner of the election with 54,074 votes, surpassing Ohere, who garnered 51,291 votes.
But unsatisfied, Ohere approached the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the ruling.(NAN)
