Court Restrains INEC From Handling ‘Fictitious’ Petition To Recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
The Federal High Court in Lokoja has granted an interim injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from receiving, accepting, or acting on any petition containing allegedly fictitious signatures from members of Kogi Central Senatorial District seeking to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The ruling, issued on Thursday in suit number FHC/LKJ/CS/13/2025, followed an ex parte application for an interim injunction filed by Anebe Jacob Ogirima and four other registered voters from Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The application, which was supported by an affidavit of extreme urgency and other legal documents, was presented by Smart Nwachimere Esq. of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co.
The plaintiffs requested an interim injunction to prevent INEC and its representatives from processing or acting on any petition allegedly containing falsified signatures aimed at recalling Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The court granted the request, pending the outcome of a Motion on Notice seeking a similar order.
Presiding over the case, Justice Isa H. Dashen ruled: “That an interim injunction is granted restraining the defendant, their staff, agents, privies, or assigns from receiving, accepting, or acting in any way whatsoever on any purported petitions submitted to the defendant by any person or persons whatsoever, containing fictitious signatures and names of purported members of Kogi Central Senatorial District and conducting any referendum whatsoever upon such petition for the purpose of initiating a recall process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Senator representing the said senatorial district in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.”
The court also directed that INEC be served with the enrolled order along with the Motion on Notice, pending the resolution of the substantive suit.
The case was adjourned to May 6, 2025, for a report on service and further proceedings.
The recent move to recall her stems from growing political tension in Kogi Central. Efforts to initiate her recall emerged following allegations that some political figures were sponsoring petitions containing falsified signatures to undermine her position.
The petitioners claim that the signatures used to support the recall effort are fake and politically motivated.
The court’s ruling has temporarily halted INEC’s processing or action on the petitions.
On Wednesday, a fresh wave of political manipulation had hit Kogi State after politicians allegedly loyal to former Governor Yahaya Bello were caught deceiving residents with a sham empowerment programme to extract their signatures and voter details for the ongoing recall process against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Multiple videos obtained by SaharaReporters confirm that unsuspecting residents were lured in with the promise of financial aid and support, only to be tricked into unknowingly endorsing the recall campaign against the embattled senator.
In one of the videos, a resident can be heard exposing the fraudulent scheme, saying, “We are not here for the recall process of Natasha. We are here for an empowerment. And we were given instructions to come with our voter cards. They told us to come here for empowerment with our voter cards.”
Another resident, who identified herself as Mrs. Joseph, described the process as a scam.
“I call the recall process a mess. Nobody was aware of it at all. These people deceived them with the promise of empowerment. It was only when we arrived that many of us realised this was not normal,” the resident said.
She added: “People started leaving. I see it as a fraud, and they are doing something the people do not support. I myself do not support it, and the majority of people in this local government are against it.”
They accused people loyal to Yahaya Bello of being behind the deception.
A young man at the scene also confirmed the deception.
He said: “Early this morning, we were informed that we should come for empowerment. When we got to the field, we were asked to bring our voter cards. We asked why because we were told this was just an empowerment. Then they gave us a form to fill in with our VIN (Voter Identification Number) and signature. Most of us refused because we knew empowerment is not done this way.”
Sources earlier said the deception is part of a larger plot orchestrated by Yahaya Bello and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to remove Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from office forcefully.
OSUN DEFENDER reported that some political figures in Kogi State had launched a recall process against Natasha just weeks after her controversial suspension from the Senate.
The senator was suspended after accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
