The Court of Appeal in Abuja has confirmed Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the victor of the Kogi Central senatorial district election.
Originally, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25th election.
INEC’s returning officer for the district, Rotimi Ajayi, announced that Sadiku-Ohere received 52,132 votes, defeating Natasha, who had 51,763 votes, with a margin of only 369 votes.
Unsatisfied with the election’s outcome, Natasha filed a petition with the tribunal, challenging Sadiku-Ohere’s victory and her declaration as the election winner.
In September, the election petition tribunal in Lokoja invalidated Ohere’s election and declared Akpoti-Uduaghan as the rightful winner.
Kemakolam Orjiako, the tribunal’s chairman, reported that Ohere’s results had been inflated in nine polling units in the Ajaokuta LGA.
INEC had excluded the results from three other polling units designated for Natasha in the same LGA.
Following these necessary corrections, the court declared Natasha the winner of the election with 54,074 votes, surpassing Ohere, who had 51,291 votes.