News

Petitioners Firm On Recall Of Senator Natasha

ByTitilope Adako

PublishedApril 4, 2025

Residents of Kogi Central Senatorial District have reaffirmed their commitment to recalling their senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, from the National Assembly.

They insist there will be no backing down on the ongoing recall process, which they are determined to advance.

In a statement released on Thursday by Salihu Habib, the petitioners stressed that they were resolute in their efforts to remove the senator, who they claim has lost the support of a significant portion of her constituency.

The petitioners also expressed appreciation to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for validating 208,132 (43.86 percent) of the signatures they submitted in support of the recall petition.

However, INEC has not officially confirmed the validation of the signatures.

The renewed determination comes after INEC raised concerns over deficiencies in the petition previously submitted, triggering a series of actions and reactions from the constituents.

OSUN DEFENDER reported that on Thursday, INEC issued a statement in which it declared that the recall petition did not meet the constitutional requirements.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hereby notifies the public that the petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, which was submitted to the Commission on Monday, 24th March 2025, has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended),” the statement read.

“In light of this, no further action will be taken on the petition,” it added.

Despite INEC’s statement, the petitioners, who say they are registered voters from Kogi Central, argue that they have met the necessary threshold of more than 50 percent of registered voters, and that all documentation supporting their petition was properly submitted.

They further pointed out that the 43.86 percent validation by INEC affirmed that the senator was no longer trusted by the majority of her constituents.

“It is clear that INEC rejected not less than 35,000 signatures from those we gathered,” they said.

“We trust INEC to handle this matter transparently and without ambiguity,” they affirmed.

The petitioners also expressed their gratitude to INEC for dispelling doubts about the authenticity of the signatures.

“We appreciate INEC for confirming that the majority of Kogi Central’s people stand with us, disproving claims that we had inflated our numbers with fraudulent supporter.

“Our goal is to restore effective, collaborative leadership to Kogi Central,” the petitioners stated. “We cannot tolerate a representative who will go to any lengths to stay politically relevant.”

The petitioners condemned a recent rally led by Akpoti-Uduaghan, calling her comments during the event inflammatory and potentially divisive for both Kogi State and Nigeria.

“We are committed to ensuring that our voices are heard and respected through all lawful means,” they said. “The people’s power, under the grace of God, is final.”

In March, the petitioners, representing a group called Concerned Kogi Youth and Women, formally submitted the recall petition to INEC, citing a lack of confidence in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s leadership.

They urged INEC to initiate the recall process.

Although the commission initially raised concerns about the petition’s details, it later notified both the senator and the Senate leadership, in accordance with Section 69 of the Constitution, that the process was underway.

Akpoti-Uduaghan has been suspended from the Senate since March 6 for allegedly violating Senate rules, following a rally she held in defiance of a police ban on public gatherings in Kogi State.

Titilope Adako

Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.