Akpoti-Uduaghan writes INEC, demands review of Kogi Central senatorial poll

Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Kogi Central Senatorial seat, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has called for a review of last Saturday’s National Assembly election, insisting she won.

This was contained in an application by her solicitor, C.O. Ogbu, Esq., dated Tuesday, March 1, 2023, and addressed to the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

In the letter, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Sadiku Ohere, was wrongly declared winner of the election.

The letter reads in part: “Ohere, the candidate of APC, was wrongly returned with 52,132 votes and declared winner of the election in the senatorial district while our client was wrongly credited with 51,763 votes. It is important to state that the declaration was made on February 28, 2023.

“It is our position that after a careful and meticulous review of the election results from the duplicate of the result sheets, we discovered that votes were manipulated and adjusted in favour of the APC candidate.

“In Ganaja township ward in Ajaokuta Council, the polling units affected by manipulation of the step-by-step recording of polls, contrary to Section 70 (of the Electoral Act), are as follows:

“In Polling Unit 009 on Form EC8 A (I), the votes scored by APC were 105 while that of PDP were 751 but when the votes were transferred to Form EC8B (I), 205 votes were recorded for APC and 51 votes were recorded for PDP. The effect of the manipulation led to wrongful crediting of APC with 100 votes while PDP was deprived of 700 votes.

“In Polling Unit 049 on Form EC8 A (I), the votes scored by APC were 46 while that of PDP were 210. But when the votes were transferred to Form EC8B (I), 290 votes were recorded for APC and 10 votes were recorded for PDP. The effect of the manipulation led to wrongful crediting of APC with 244 votes while PDP was deprived of 200 votes.

“In Polling Unit 046 on Form EC8 A (I), the votes scored by APC were 51 while that of PDP were 112 but when the votes were transferred to Form EC8B (I), 640 votes were recorded for APC and 16 votes were recorded for PDP. The effect of the manipulation led to wrongful crediting of APC with 589 votes while PDP was deprived of 96 votes.”

The letter adds: “These violations of the law substantially affected the result of the election as declared and, therefore, led to wrongful declaration and return of the APC candidate otherwise. Our client who won the election ought to have been declared the winner by virtue of the total lawful votes recorded.

“We humbly call on you to use your good offices to review the above and declare our client as winner of the Kogi Central senatorial district election conducted on February 25, 2023.”