By Ayo Yusuf
Two days after the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal nullified the victory of the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for Kogi Central Senatorial election, Sen. Abubakar Ohere, the state governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, has vowed that the party will retain all three senatorial seats in the state.
Governor Bello gave this assurance while speaking to State House Correspondents in Abuja on Thursday.
Reminded that his party had just lost one of those seats to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the polls, Mrs. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Mr Bello said, “I want to assure you that even judging from yesterday’s pronouncement at the appeal court, we’re going to have our three-over-three senate in Kogi State, I can assure you.”
It would be recalled that the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday nullified the victory of Sen. Ohere at the February 25 polls, declaring Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan of the PDP as the actual winner.
In his unanimous judgement, the Chairman of the three-man judicial panel, Justice K. A. Orjiako, while overturning the election of Senator Ohere, said the APC candidate’s votes were inflated in nine polling units of Ajaokuta Local Government Area.
The judges added that Natasha’s votes were intentionally reduced in the areas by the Independent National Electoral Commission, and the results of three other polling units were deliberately omitted for her in the same LGA as well.
The court after making the proper correction, declared Natasha of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the poll having polled 54,074 against Ohere (APC) who polled 51,291.
It is clear from the Governor’s statement that the party intends to appeal the judgment at the Court of Appeal which is the final terminus for cases involving National Assembly or state assemblies’ elections.
Section 285(8) of the Constitution avails litigants in assembly elections who lose at designated tribunals the right to find redress at the court of Appeal which is the final court for such matters.
