Two women who have shown courage, fighting for their rights in a male dominated world, got their efforts rewarded as election tribunals returned their hitherto stolen mandates.

The Election Petition Tribunals sitting in Kogi and Abia states on Wednesday declared the Kogi Central Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senatorial candidate, Mrs. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the winner of the February 25 Kogi Central Senatorial election and Nkeiruka Onyejeocha as winner of House of Representatives seat in Abia state.

The Tribunal in Kogi court declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan as the actual winner of the February Senatorial election in Kogi Central.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the Kogi central senatorial election with less than 400 votes.

Rotimi Ajayi, INEC returning officer for the district, had announced that Sadiku-Ohere garnered 52,132 votes to beat Natasha who had 51,763 votes.

The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako who read the unanimous judgment of the 3-man panel, said Ohere results were inflated in 9 polling units of Ajaokuta LGA while that of Natasha was intentionally reduced in the same 9 polling units by the INEC Ward Collation officers.

He also stated that 3 other polling units’ results were deliberately not entered for Natasha in the same LGA.The court said that Natasha’s results in the 9 polling units of Ajaokuta LGA were 1073 against the 77 that were recorded by the Ward Collation officers while that of the APC candidate, Abubakar Ohere was inflated to 1553 against the actual figure of 1031.

“The Tribunal is also convinced that the petitioner’s 996 votes in polling units 009, 046, and O49 polling units of Ganaja village of Ajaokuta LGA were deliberately not recorded at the Ward Collation centre.

Hon Nkeiruka Onyejiocha Wins in Abia

Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia the Abia State Capital has nullified the election of Hon Amobi Ogah of the Labour Party, representing Isiukwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency on grounds of non compliance to the electoral Act.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in February 28th declared the Labour Party Candidate , Amobi Ogah as the winner of the Isiukwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency election with a a total of 11,769 votes against current Minister of State for Labour and Employment Hon Nkeiruka Onyejiocha Chidubem who the commission said scored a total of 8,752 votes.

Dissatisfied with the result, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha filed a petition before the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, seeking the nullification of Hon Amobi Ogah’s Election in seven reliefs contained in her Petition

Delivering Judgement in the Petition tagged EPT/AB/HR/8/2023 on Wednesday in Umuahia, the three member Panel 1 of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal said the candidate of the Labour Party and Member Representing Isiukwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency Hon Amobi Ogah did not comply with the provisions of the electoral Act.

“How a candidate is Sponsored by a political party is both Pre and post election, there is no evidence of giving 21days notice to INEC by the respondent before conducting their primary election”

“No date of Primaries was placed before us, no evidence of Primaries and the 3rd respondent has always said it’s an internal affairs of the Party”

“We have tabulated and found out that the results computed by the petition is correct and the results computed by the 1st respondent is dis-countenanced ”

Hon Amobi Ogah who had argued that the acceptance of the Ministerial appointment of Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was a sign that she has abandoned her petition .

However the Tribunal in its ruling dismissed the submission of the Lawmaker.

“We are of the view that section 66 is not applicable to this scenario because the petitioner is not a Lawmaker of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the scenario prohibited by law is a person being a member of two arms of government” the court ruled.

Hon. Nkeiruka was recently appointed as the Minister of State, Labour and Employment, by President Tinubu.