- Ogembe, AK Salihu, Others Withdraw.
Barr. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has emerged winner of the Kogi Central senatorial primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The returning officer, Muhammed Hassan, declared Natasha winner having polled 159 votes out of the 173 accredited delegates. Mahmud Attah came second with 13 votes, while Etudaye Muhammed Adomu Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke, and Itopa Onimisi scroed zero votes, with one void vote.
The primary election which took place at the Khahal Cinema in Okene on Wednesday held after three postponements.
The result was announced by the returning officer, Mr. Muhammed Hassan.
Barrister Mrs. Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan decamped from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and joined the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the Kogi central senatorial election.
Addressing newsmen shortly after her victory, she said she dedicated her victory to God and the people of her senatorial district.
On the complaints of those aspirants who withdrew from the race, she said there is room for appeal for any aggrieved aspirants to state their complaints.
“Yes, it’s their rights to complain. I have confidence in what the leadership of the party have done. I do not see any manipulation. They can approach the appeal panel for redress,” she said.
She promised to work for the victory of the party in all the elections.
Earlier, six out of seven senatorial aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had petitioned the national secretariat of the party over manipulation of the delegates list by the state chairman of the party, Engr. Sam Uhuotu.
The aggrieved aspirants are Senator Ahmed Ogembe, Hon. Abdulkareem Salihu, Muhammed Onimisi, Etudaye Muhammed, Ibrahim Yakubu Adoke and Mahmud Ademu Attah.
Ogembe in a joint press conference with aggrieved aspirants at the venue of the primary accused the state chairman of the party for manipulating the delegates’ list from all the five local government councils in the district.
He noted that out of seven aspirants, six of them have petitioned the national chairman of the party and they all believe that they will take action.
He said he decided to withdraw from the primary since the process was not free, fair, credible and transparent.
