Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Kemakolam Orjiako, who read the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, said Ohere’s votes were inflated in nine polling units of Ajaokuta Local Council, while those of Akpoti-Uduaghan were reduced by Ward Collation Officers of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He also stated that three other polling units’ results were deliberately not entered for Akpoti-Uduaghan in the same council.
The court said Akpoti-Uduaghan got 1,073 in the nine polling units, but the collation officers recorded 77 recorded by the Ward Collation officers, while that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ohere, was inflated to 1,553 from 1,031.
“The tribunal is also convinced that the petitioners’ 996 votes in polling units 009, 046 and 049 of Ganaja village of Ajaokuta was deliberately not recorded at the Ward Collation Centre,” the tribunal said, adding that it is not the duty of Collation Officers to reject results submitted by Presiding Officers from polling units in election that followed electoral guidelines substantially.
“The issues raised by the petitioner is hereby resolved in favour of the petitioners and after making the proper correction, Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP) having polled 54,074 against Ohere’s 51,291 is hereby declared the authentic winner,” it added.
The tribunal subsequently ordered INEC to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Ohere and issue it to Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The court also chided INEC for deliberately going out of its mandate of conducting a credible election and conniving with political parties to subvert the will of the people.
He, therefore, ordered INEC to pay N500,000 to Akpoti-Uduaghan for ‘subverting justice’ in the senatorial election.
Responding to the judgment, counsel to the PDP candidate, Johnson Usman (SAN), said the judgment validated the true winner of the election.
“This is victory for Kogi Central people, victory for Kogi in general and victory for the electoral process,” he said.
The latest judgment was coming 24 hours after the nullification of another APC senator, JibrilIsah from Kogi East.
With the latest development, APC has just one senator in Kogi, in the person of Sunday Karimi (Kogi West).
