THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election.
The INEC Returning Officer for the senatorial district Rotimi Ajayi announced this at the collation centre in Okene on Tuesday, February 28.
“Engineer Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere of the APC having scored the highest votes in the election for the Kogi Central Senatorial seat is hereby declared winner, and is therefore returned elected,” he said.
Sadiku-Ohere defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to emerge winner in the National Assembly elections held on Saturday, February 25.
The APC candidate acquired 52,132 votes, closely followed by Akpoti-Uduaghan who amassed a total of 51,763.
A few hours to the elections, the state government had reportedly engaged workers to destroy roads leading to the Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The PDP alleged that the act was part of deliberate efforts of Governor Yahaya Bello, who assumed leadership of the state under the APC, to influence election outcomes in the district.
The state government, however, said that the destruction of roads was aimed at preventing terrorists from accessing the area.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had also accused the APC of hiring thugs in military camouflage to disrupt the elections in some polling units in Kogi Central.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.