Akpoti-Uduaghan takes INEC, APC’s Ohere to tribunal, claims victory

Kogi Central Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has taken the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the election petition tribunal sitting in Lokoja.

In the petition signed by Chief Umeh Kalu (SAN) and dated March 16, 2023, Akpoti-Uduaghan is challenging INEC’s declaration of Ohere as the winner of the election, arguing that that she actually won the election having polled the highest lawful votes.

In the petition, Akpoti-Uduaghan urged the election petition tribunal to declare her winner of the election. She said Ohere was wrongly declared the winner by INEC, as he didn’t receive the majority of the legitimate votes cast at the election.

Akpoti-Uduaghan said INEC incorrectly calculated the total votes she received at Ajaokuta Local Council, resulting in the erroneous declaration of Ohere as the winner.

She explained that INEC wrongly award PDP’s 933 votes to APC, adding that she received 54,064 votes as opposed to the 51,763 votes reported by INEC, and requested the tribunal to declare her winner of the February 25 election.

The petition reads: “The first respondent, Ohere Sadiku Abubakar, was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast in the Kogi Central Senatorial District election held on February 25 and 26, 2023. The declaration and return of the first respondent as the winner of the election and the Certificate of Return (CoR) issued to the first respondent are null and void.”

“The first petitioner, Natasha Hadiza Akpoti-Uduaghan, was duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast in the election. Akpoti-Uduaghan be declared winner and issued a CoR as the duly-elected candidate at election, having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast at the election and satisfied the provisions of the 1999 Constitution and Electoral Act.”