By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
An Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lokoja has declared Mrs. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the February 25 Kogi Central Senatorial election.
Justice K.A. Orjiakoin, the tribunal Chairman, in his ruling on Wednesday said, Uduaghan scored 54,064 votes to defeat his closest rival Mr. Sadiku Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 51,291 votes.
The Tribunal Chairman, reading the judgment, said Ohere’s votes were inflated in nine polling units in Ajaokuta Local Government.
“Natasha’s votes were intentionally reduced in the same nine polling units by the INEC Ward Collation officers,” he declared.
“After making the proper corrections, Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan (PDP), having polled 54,074 against Abubakar Ohere’s 51,291, is hereby declared the authentic winner,” he declared.
Orjiako explained further: “During collation of results, three other polling units’ result was deliberately not entered for Natasha in the same Local Government.
“From the evidences before this tribunal, Natasha’s votes in the nine polling units of Ajaokuta were 1073 against the 77 recorded by the ward collation officers, while those scored by Ohere were inflated to 1553 against the actual figure of 1031.
“In view of this, we are convinced that the petitioners’ 996 votes in polling units 009, 046 and O49 polling units of Ganaja village of Ajaokuta were deliberately not recorded at the Ward Collation Centre.
“It is not the duty of collation officers to reject results submitted by Presiding Officers from polling units in an election that followed the electoral guidelines substantially. That officer failed in his duty,” he said.
According to him, all issues raised by the petitioner have been resolved in her.
Justice Orjiakoin in the same vain ordered Ohere to pay Akpoti-Uduaghan the sum of N500,000 for the cost of the petition.
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