Undeterred by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s rejection of their initial petition, those seeking the recall of Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan have declared their intention to resubmit a revised petition.
Speaking on TVC’s breakfast show on Friday, Sandra Musa, representing the petitioners, insisted that the effort to remove Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Senate is far from over. “It doesn’t mean that the process has been put on a halt, and so we are believing that once we are able to meet up with the level of compliance that they need for it to be adequate, the process will definitely take its course,” she stated.
INEC had previously dismissed the petition because it failed to meet the constitutional threshold stipulated in Section 69(a), which mandates that a recall petition must be signed by at least 50 per cent plus one of the registered voters in the concerned constituency. In the case of Kogi Central, INEC verified 208,132 signatures out of the 474,554 registered voters, representing 43.86 per cent – a shortfall of 29,146 signatures.
Despite this significant gap, Mrs. Musa expressed optimism, citing the over 208,000 verified signatures as encouraging and suggesting that the petitioners were closer to the required number than some might believe. “The people in her compound, are they up to 5,000? And what we heard from INEC, being an independent body, has already made us understand that over 208,000 signatures have been verified. So, I’ll leave that to the public to judge,” she added.
Background to the Recall Attempt:
The move to recall Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan commenced in early March, with constituents gathering to initiate the process. This effort has faced criticism and allegations of financial inducement of the petitioners. On March 24, a group identifying as the Concerned Kogi Youth and Women formally submitted the petition to INEC headquarters in Abuja. In their letter to INEC Chairperson Mahmood Yakubu, the group stated their loss of confidence in Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s representation and requested the commencement of the recall process.
Initially, INEC identified deficiencies in the submitted petition, noting the absence of contact addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of the petitioners. These details were subsequently provided, allowing INEC to proceed with the verification process. INEC officially notified the Senate President and Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan about the recall petition.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has since denounced the recall process as fraudulent. Additionally, the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, recently vacated an earlier ex-parte injunction that had temporarily offered her some relief regarding the recall effort.
Accusation of Incitement and Concerns Over Representation:
Mrs. Musa also criticized Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recent visit to her constituency for Eid-il-Fitr, accusing her of attempting to incite the populace against the Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, who had previously imposed a ban on political rallies. “Now, having to say she came home to explain, if you look at the video of what she came to do, she came to incite the people. That visit was more about name tagging people, blackmailing them of which every one of the persons she had called, even to the president, governor, who is the chief servant of the state, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has also got a level of followership,” Mrs. Musa stated. She argued that such actions could disrupt the peace and calm currently enjoyed in Kogi Central.
Furthermore, Mrs. Musa expressed concern over Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Senate, claiming it has left the constituency without effective representation. “What we know is that she has been given a suspension for six months, and that is tentative one year. And that means that we’re going to be out of the dividends of democracy for that period of time,” she said.
Mrs. Musa suggested that the senator could have avoided suspension by apologizing to her colleagues, arguing that her refusal has also negatively impacted her ability to pursue her personal sexual harassment allegations. “Now, if she had apologised, and then this issue of being suspended for six months did not come to be, it would have been possible for her to go on with her sexual harassment case, which like I always said, and I maintain, is a personal thing,” she asserted.
Defense Against Apology:
However, Abdulrazaq Mamman, spokesperson for the Say No to Violence in Ebira Land Initiative, defended Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating that an apology is no longer a viable option. Mr. Mamman argued that the situation has escalated beyond reconciliation and that the senator’s suspension itself is a violation of her constitutional rights. “At this juncture, apologising, is saying everything that has been said is not true. And she was suspended on the issue of misconduct,” Mr. Mamman explained. He further contended that the six-month suspension for alleged disorderly conduct is disproportionate and constitutes “legislative recklessness.”
As the petitioners prepare to resubmit their petition, the political climate in Kogi Central remains tense, with the fate of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s senatorial seat hanging in the balance.
Petitioners Vow to Resubmit Recall Effort Against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan Despite Initial Setback
