Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan: INEC Receives Recall Petition From Constituents

By Akinwale Kasali

Kogi Central Senatorial District Constituents have submitted a petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The petition was submitted on Monday, March 24, 2025.

It was signed by over 250,000 out of the 480,000 constituents.

This is more than the 50 Percent required to proceed with the recall process.

The submission of the petition comes barely three days after a Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, the Kogi State Capital, set aside an earlier ruling that restrained INEC from receiving the recall process.

The Federal High Court in a  judgement delivered in Lokoja on Friday affirmed that the recall process is constitutionally valid and aligns with the civic rights of the constituents.

The Court urged the Constituents to continue exercising their rights in an orderly and peaceful manner.

The development was after the Court had, on Thursday, granted an interim injunction restraining INEC, its staff, agents, privies or assigns from receiving, accepting or acting on any petition containing signatures of members of Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The Court, also, stopped INEC from conducting any referendum upon such petition for the purpose of initiating a recall process of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the determination of the Motion on Notice to the same effect.

The Court also granted the application following an ex-parte application for interim supported by an Affidavit of Extreme urgency together with other court processes sworn to by Anebe Jacob Ogirima for himself and four others who are registered voters and constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State.

Smart Nwachimere, Counsel to the applicant, argued that the recall petitions contained fictitious signatures from purported Constituents.

The injunction restrained INEC, its staff, and agents from receiving or accepting recall petitions with fake signatures and conducting any referendum based on such petitions.

The case was adjourned to May 6, 2025, for further mentioning.