DINO MELAYE REACTS AS THE COURT OF APPEAL UPHOLDS NATASHA AKPOTI’S ELECTION AS KOGI SENATOR

Babatunji Wusu –

Natasha Akpoti was declared the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election by the Court of Appeal.

On Tuesday, the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal maintained the Tribunal’s earlier finding and declared Natasha Akpoti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the genuine victor of the Kogi Central Senatorial seat.

Dino Melaye, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the November 11 governorship elections in Kogi State, confirmed the incident on Tuesday in a post on the X platform.

According to Melaye, the Court of Appeal upheld the Tribunal’s decision, which handed Akpoti victory. He congratulated the state’s citizens on their triumph.

“Natasha is now a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he wrote. God be praised. The trial court’s decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal. Congratulations to all Kogi State supporters of democracy.”

The election petition tribunal in Lokoja had declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the winner of the Kogi East Senatorial election held on February 25, 2023, back in September.

In his verdict on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, tribunal Chairman Justice K.A. Orjiakoin stated that Uduaghan received 54,064 votes to defeat his nearest challenger Sadiku Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who received 51,291 votes.

According to Justice Orjiakoin, Ohere’s results were inflated in nine polling units of Ajaokuta Local Government Area (LGA), while Natasha’s results were purposefully reduced in the same areas by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as three other polling unit results that were purposefully not entered for Natasha in the same LGA.

He urged Ohere to pay N500,000 to Akpoti-Uduaghan for the expense of the petition.