THE Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Tuesday, October 31, affirmed Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the valid winner of the February 25 Kogi Central Senatorial election.
All Progressives Congress (APC) member Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere’s appeal was denied by the three-member tribunal, which upheld the Kogi National and State Assemblies Tribunal’s ruling.
The submission made by Joshua Usman, a senior advocate, the attorney for Akpoti-Uduagan, was accepted by the court as meritorious.
The Appeal Court panel headed by Hamma Barka subsequently held that Akpoti-Uduaghan, having won the majority of lawful votes cast at the poll, was the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial District poll.
Additionally, the appellate court granted N500,000 against Sadiku-Ohere to Akpoti-Uduaghan to cover the cost of the petition.
The ICIR reported that the Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Lokoja, Kogi, declared Akpoti-Uduaghan the winner of the 2023 senatorial elections held on February 25.
The tribunal, led by K. A. Orjiako, held on Wednesday, September 6 that Akpoti-Uduaghan scored 54,064 votes to defeat her closest opponent and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Sadiku-Ohere, who polled 51,291.
The three-man panel was unanimous on the judgment.
Orjiako also disclosed that the results were inflated in favour of the APC within nine polling units in the Ajaokuta Local Government Area (LGA). At the same time, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s was intentionally reduced in the areas.
The tribunal also ruled that results were deliberately not entered in favour of Akpoti-Uduaghan in three other polling units.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sadiku-Ohere winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election on Tuesday, February 28.
This came after several hurdles experienced by Akpoti-Uduaghan ahead of the elections, including the hiring of workers a few hours before the voting exercise to destroy roads leading to the Kogi Central Senatorial District by the state Governor Yahaya Bello, who assumed office under the APC platform.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had also accused the APC of hiring thugs in military camouflage to disrupt the elections in some polling units in her district.
On Tuesday, June 13, 469 lawmakers were sworn into Nigeria’s National Assembly. Out of 109 senators, three were female.
Sixteen women made it into the House of Representatives out of 360 lawmakers.
With this Appeal Court judgement favouring Akpoti-Uduaghan, the number of women senators in the upper chamber has increased.
You can read The ICIR report that profiles the female lawmakers here.
A reporter with the ICIR
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