The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Tuesday, declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan of the Peoples Democratic Party as the duly elected candidate for the Kogi Central Senatorial Election held in February 2023.

The court further dismissed the appeal filed by Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress for lacking in merit, PUNCH Online reports.

The state’s Election Petitions Tribunal, in September, had declared Akpoti-Uduagan winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election. It also invalidated the victory of Ohere.

The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako, delivered the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, revealing that Ohere’s results were inflated in nine polling units in the Ajaokuta Local Government Area.

He added that the Independent National Electoral Commission reduced Natasha’s results in those areas and omitted the results of three other polling units meant for Natasha in the same LGA.

The Tribunal judgment led Ohere to seek redress. However, the Appeal Court further maintained that Akpoti-Uduagan won the election.

Earlier, Akpoti-Uduaghan had asked the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu to review the outcome of the senatorial election in Kogi Central.