In a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday, Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the Peoples Democratic Party has been affirmed as the rightful winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial Election held in February 2023. The court has also dismissed the appeal made by Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress, citing a lack of merit in his case.
This decision follows the earlier verdict from the state's Election Petitions Tribunal in September, which had declared Akpoti-Uduagan the victor in the Kogi Central Senatorial election while invalidating Ohere's win. The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako, disclosed that Ohere's results had been inflated in nine polling units in the Ajaokuta Local Government Area, and the Independent National Electoral Commission had erroneously reduced Natasha's results in those areas while omitting the results of three other polling units intended for her in the same LGA.
Despite the Tribunal's ruling, Ohere sought redress by taking the matter to the Appeal Court. However, the Court of Appeal has now upheld Akpoti-Uduagan's victory in the election.
Before the Appeal Court's decision, Akpoti-Uduagan had previously requested the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, to review the outcome of the senatorial election in Kogi Central. In her letter, dated March 1, 2023, she pointed out discrepancies in the results, claiming that the APC candidate was wrongly declared the winner, and her own votes were misattributed.
She alleged that this manipulation occurred in three polling units in Ganaja township Ward, Ajaokuta Local Government Area of the state. In response to the Appeal Court's verdict, Akpoti-Uduagan expressed her gratitude on her official Facebook page, saying, "We won the Appeal. Joy amidst tears. Thank you Kogi Central. This is us together."
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