From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
The Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal, yesterday, nullified the victory of Senator Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of Kogi Central Central.
The judgment came a day after the election of Isa Echocho of the APC representing Kogi East was voided and a rerun ordered in 94 polling units
The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako, who read the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, said Ohere results were inflated in nine polling units of Ajaokuta LGA while that of Natasha was intentionally reduced by INEC ward collation officers.
The court said Natasha’s results in the nine polling units of Ajaokuta LGA was 1,073 against the 77 recorded by the ward collation officers while that of the APC candidate, Abubakar Ohere was inflated to 1,553 against the actual figure of 1,031.
“The Tribunal is also convinced that the petitioners 996 votes in polling units 009, 046 and O49 polling units of Ganaja village of Ajaokuta LGA were deliberately not recorded at the ward collation centre.
The Tribunal said it was not the duty of collation officers to reject results submitted by presiding officers from polling units in elections that followed the electoral guidelines substantially.
“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 subsequently ordered the 3rd respondent (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of returns issued to Ohere and reissue the same to Natasha.
The Court chided INEC for deliberately going out of its mandate of conducting a free and fair election to conniving with political parties to subvert the will of the people and ordered it to pay N500,000 to the petitioner for subverting justice in the election.