….sacks Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
…Ask Ohere to pay N500,000 to Akpoti
Natasha Akpoti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been declared the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial Election by the Kogi State National Assembly Election Tribunal.
The tribunal found that Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had manipulated the results in his favor by inflating his votes in nine polling units and reducing Akpoti’s votes intentionally in the same area.
The tribunal also stated that three polling units’ results were deliberately not entered for Akpoti in the Ajaokuta Local Government Area.
After correcting the results, Akpoti was declared the rightful winner with 54,074 votes, compared to Ohere’s 51,291 votes.
The tribunal ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ohere and issue a new one to Akpoti.
In addition, the tribunal awarded costs of N500,000 to Akpoti, the PDP, and INEC, to be paid by Ohere and the APC.
Akpoti, a lawyer and activist, had contested the election result, alleging irregularities and malpractices. She accused Ohere and the APC of colluding with INEC officials to manipulate the outcome in their favor, and claimed to have faced harassment and intimidation by thugs loyal to Ohere and the APC during the election.
Akpoti expressed satisfaction with the tribunal’s judgment and thanked her supporters for their prayers and solidarity. She promised to dedicate her victory to the people of Kogi Central and work for their welfare and development. She also called on Ohere and the APC to accept the verdict and work together to move the senatorial district forward.
Ohere and the APC have not yet responded to the judgment but have 21 days to appeal to the Court of Appeal if they are dissatisfied with the decision.