A PETITION to recall the suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by a group of registered voters from her region.
The move marks a significant attempt to remove her from office.
The petition dated 21 March 2025 was submitted on Monday, March 24 at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
The petition was submitted by a group known as Concerned Kogi Youth and Women.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Charity Ijoshe Omole said they had lost confidence in Natasha because of “gross misconduct” that led to her suspension from the Senate.
Omole said the district could not afford not to be represented in the Senate for six months.
“We, the people of Kogi Central, voted her in, and we are here to recall her. We have 488,000 registered voters, and as I speak to you now, we have more than 250,000 voters who have signed for her recall,” he stated.
The group in the petition addressed to the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, demanded the recall of Akpoti-Uduaghan.
According to the petitioners, the petition for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall is filed under Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and INEC’s guidelines for recall petitions.
The ICIR reported that the Nigerian Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months over alleged rule violations.
Despite a restraining court order, the Senate went ahead with the suspension, citing a breach of its standing orders.
The move has been criticised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), opposition parties, and various lawyers, who argued that the suspension was hasty and unfair.
Human rights lawyer and activist, Femi Falana, condemned the suspension, describing it as legislative recklessness, and demanded its immediate reversal.
The ICIR reported on February 20 that during a plenary, Akpoti-Uduaghan caused an uproar at the Senate when she discovered that her seat had been reassigned without prior notice.
She resisted the reassignment, arguing that it was an attempt to silence her.
Her refusal led to a tense confrontation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who ordered the sergeant at arms to order her out of the chamber.
Following the seating arrangement dispute, the Senate unanimously voted to refer Akpoti-Uduaghan to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for a disciplinary review.
The committee, led by Neda Imaseun, was tasked with submitting its findings within two weeks.
The ICIR reported that despite the court restraining the Senate, Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for six months on Thursday, May 6.
The committee ignored the court order and recommended a six-month suspension, adding that the punishment could be reduced if the lawmaker publicly apologised.
The Senate approved the committee’s report and suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for “gross misconduct” during plenary.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension came days after he accused the Senate President of sexually harassing her.
A reporter with the ICIR
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