Appeal Court judgement: Senate swears in PDP’s Natasha as Kogi Central Senator
Following the Appeal Court verdict, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Thursday, swore in Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the new senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The oath of office was administered on Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Chinedu Akubueze during plenary.
The Informant247 gathered that the new Senator was handed a copy of the Senate Standing Rules by Akpabio after taking the oath, and was later led to her seat by the sergeant at arms after an exchange of pleasantries with her colleagues.
The Informant247 had earlier reported that the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan as the duly elected member for the Kogi Central Senatorial Election held in February 2023, while further dismissing the appeal filed by Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress for lacking in merit.
The Informant247 had in September, reported that the Kogi state National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, nullified the victory of Senator Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Kogi Central senatorial election while declaring Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the February 25 parliamentary election.
According to Justice K. A. Orjiako, the tribunal chairman in a unanimous judgment of the 3-man panel held that Ohere’s results were inflated in 9 polling units of Ajaokuta LGA in the said election while adding that votes of the PDP candidate in the said election were intentionally reduced in 9 polling units by the INEC Ward Collation officers.
In a further judgment, Justice K. A. Orjiako also held that 3 other polling units’ results were deliberately not entered for the PDP candidate in the same LGA, while adding that Natasha’s results in the 9 polling units of Ajaokuta LGA was 1,073 against the 77 that was recorded by the Ward Collation officers, stressing, that of the APC candidate was inflated to 1,553 against the actual figure of 1,031.
“The Tribunal is also convinced that the petitioner’s 996 votes in polling units 009, 046 and O49 polling units of Ganaja village of Ajaokuta LGA was deliberately not recorded at the Ward Collation centre,” Justice Orjiako held.
The tribunal added that it is not the duty of collation officers to reject results submitted by presiding officers from polling units in elections that followed the electoral guidelines substantially.
He added that “the issues raised by the petitioner is hereby resolved in favour of the petitioners and after making the proper correction, Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan (PDP) having polled 54,074 against Abubakar Ohere (APC) who polled 51,291 is hereby declared the authentic winner.”
The tribunal, therefore, subsequently ordered the 3rd respondent (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of returns issued to Ohere and issue the same to the PDP Candidate.
However, the court chided INEC for deliberately going out of its mandate of conducting a free and fair election by conniving with political parties to subvert the will of the people.
The tribunal therefore ordered INEC to pay N500,000 to the PDP candidate for ‘subverting justice’ in the Senatorial election.
In his response, Johnson Usman (SAN), counsel to Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan, said the judgment has now validated the true winner of the Central Senatorial District election.
“This is a victory for the people of Kogi Central Senatorial district, victory for Kogi in general and victory for the election processes”, he said.
Dissatisfied with the tribunal judgment, Ohere seeks redress. However, the Appeal Court further maintained that Akpoti-Uduagan won the election.
Reacting to the appeal court verdict, Akpoti-Uduagan, posted “We won the Appeal. Joy amidst tears. Thank you Kogi Central. This is us together ??”
on her official Facebook page.
