The All Progressives Congress has lost two National Assembly seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party has gained one more seat as election petition tribunals across the country commenced giving judgments on cases.
The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, on Wednesday, declared the People’s Democratic Party senatorial candidate in Kogi Central, Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the winner of the February 25 senatorial election in the state.
The court sacked Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress and subsequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (third respondent) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ohere. The tribunal also directed that a certificate of return should rather be issued to Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
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 those of Natasha were intentionally reduced in the same nine polling units by the INEC ward collation officers. He also stated that three other polling unit results were deliberately not entered for Natasha in the same LGA.
The tribunal said it is 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 are hereby resolved in favour of the petitioner, 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,” it said.
The court also chided INEC for deliberately going out of its mandate of conducting a free and fair election to connive with political parties to subvert the will of the people.
It ordered INEC to pay N500,000 to Natasha for “subverting justice” in the senatorial election.
Responding to the judgment, counsel to Akpoti-Uduagan, Johnson Usman (SAN), said, “This is a victory for the people of Kogi Central Senatorial District, a victory for Kogi in general, and a victory for the election processes.”
Newsmen reports that Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, is from the district.
In a statement issued to newsmen in Lokoja on Wednesday, Ohere said he received the judgment of the Tribunal with great shock.
It read, “I feel strongly that that decision is contrary to Paragraph 15 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2022.
“As a matter of fact, I presented before the Tribunal through my team of lawyers a decision of the Appellate Courts, which held that a respondent does not need to file a cross-petition to challenge votes in an election petition if the ground for challenging the election is on the “majority of lawful votes.”
“While I am waiting for my team of lawyers to give me full details on the judgment, I urge all my supporters to be calm and peaceful, as their mandate is not lost. I verily know that I have the option of appeal at the Court of Appeal, which I shall exercise after due consultation with my lawyers. I urge my supporters not to be disturbed but to believe that we will get it right.”
Delta supplementary election
The Senatorial Election Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Wednesday also sacked the senator representing Delta South, Senator Thomas Onowakpo of the APC.
The candidate of the PDP, Mr Michael Diden, had petitioned the APC candidate, praying to disqualify the APC candidate, adding that the electoral body did not follow the Electoral Act before declaring the APC winner.
