BREAKING: INEC Receives Petition for Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

By Iyojo Ameh

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially received a petition from constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

A copy of the petition reveals that over 250,000 constituents out of the district’s 480,000 registered voters signed the document—exceeding the 50 percent threshold required to trigger a recall process.

The petition submission comes just three days after a Federal High Court in Lokoja lifted an earlier ruling that had restrained INEC from accepting the recall request. In its ruling on Friday, the court reaffirmed that the recall process is constitutionally valid and falls within the civic rights of the constituents.

The court had previously, on Thursday, issued an interim injunction preventing INEC from receiving or acting on any recall petition. The injunction also barred the commission from conducting a referendum based on the petition until the determination of the Motion on Notice.

The order was granted following an ex-parte application supported by an affidavit of extreme urgency filed by Anebe Jacob Ogirima and four other registered voters from Kogi Central. Their legal counsel, Smart Nwachimere, argued that the recall petition contained fictitious signatures.

The court’s ruling now restrains INEC from accepting any petition containing fraudulent signatures and from proceeding with a referendum based on such documents.

The case has been adjourned to May 6, 2025, for further hearing.