The Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, on the petition filed by the Kogi Central Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25th general elections, Barr. Natasha Uduaghan, has granted her application to serve the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Engr. Abubakar Sadiku Ohere, notice of the petition through substituted means.
Ohere who was declared winner of the Senatorial election by INEC with 369 votes margin has allegedly avoiding to be served by the court.
The Tribunal granted the order after the court bailiff was reportedly chased away by the loyalists of the APC candidate.
In the order given by the Tribunal on Monday 27th, March 2023, Ohere will now be served all the processes in the suit by substituted means.
The order of the Tribunal reads:
“1. Leave is granted to the applicants to move this application for substituted outside of the pre-trial session.
“2. leave granted to the petitioners/applicants to serve the respondent with the petition and other processes in this petition by substituted means to wit: by pasting the same on the
entrance gate of the 2nd respondent, All Peoples Congress, headquarters in lokoja,
kogi state.
“3. This mode of service when effected shall be deemed as proper and effective service of the petition and other processes on the 1st respondent”, the Tribunal rules.
Recall that the PDP senatorial candidate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan rejected the declaration of Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere of APC as the winner of the February 25, 2023 election for Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Natasha is praying to be declared the winner of the election on the ground that she scored the highest number of lawful votes during the senatorial poll.