A’Court declares Natasha Akpoti Senator of Kogi Central

By Vivian Okejeme Abuja

The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, Tuesday, declared Natasha Akpoti authentic winner of Kogi State Central Senatorial election.
The Appallate Court in the upheld the judgment of the Kogi State Senatorial Tribunal which in September 6, sacked candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere, as winner of the election.
A three-man panel of the appellate led by Justice Hamma Akawu Barka, dismissed Sadiku-Ohere’s appeal for lacking in merit, adding that the appellant failed to provide convincing evidence why the judgment of the tribunal should be set aside.
The appellate court, subsequently held that Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) having won the majority of lawful votes cast at the poll, is declared winner of the Kogi State Central Senatorial District poll.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Sadiku-Ohere of the APC winner of the February 25, senatorial election.
Dissatisfied, Akpoti Uduaghan had appealed the declaration on grounds that INEC failed to input results from Ajaokuta, Adavi and Okehi Local Government Areas, whose votes gave her the lead above Sadiku-Ohere.
The rejected and excluded results were then added to the overall results which then revealed that the PDP candidate won the majority of votes cast at the poll.
The appellate court in rejecting the APC candidate appeal held that INEC which has the duty of conducting and collating results failed to provide reasons why the results of the elections in the affected local governments areas were rejected and excluded from the overall results.