An independent youths group in Kogi State, Concerned Kogi Youths and Women, have demanded the recall of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Senate.
This call follows the clearance by the Federal High Court in Kogi State over the weekend that granted the recall process of the suspended senator.
Speaking with journalists on Monday, a representative of the group, Omole Charity Ijese, said they had written a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission for Senator Natasha’s recall from the Senate, insisting that they can not afford not to be represented in the National Assembly for another one year.
She said, “…Confidence in her because of her gross misconduct in the Senate that led us to a six-month suspension where Kogi Central would not be represented at the National Assembly, the Senate arm.
“So we have come to recall her back so that we can have a representative in the Senate because as a people we cannot afford not to have a representative in the Senate arm for another year. So, we are here to tell INEC to please follow the constitutional process for her recall, so that her recall process can begin.
“We’ve submitted our petition, it’s been received, all other documents have been received. This is the acknowledgement copy of the petition.
“We all know the INEC rules, you cannot submit a petition without to go and get signatures of registered voters and that’s why we are now saying as a people we are recalling her back from the Senate because we have gotten what it takes to recall her back from the Senate.
“We have 488,000 registered voters from Kogi Central and as I speak to you now we have more than 250,000 voters that have signed for her recall.”
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Recall that, a Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja Kogi State capital had set aside an earlier ruling that restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from receiving the recall process initiated by constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The Federal High Court in a landmark 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 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 re-call process of 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 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.
Counsel to the applicant, Smart Nwachimere, argued that the recall petitions contained fictitious signatures from purported constituents.
The injunction however restrains INEC, its staff, and agents from receiving or accepting recall petitions with fake signatures and conducting any referendum based on such petitions
The case has been adjourned to May 6, 2025, for further mentioning.
