A group of registered voters from Kogi Central Senatorial District has filed a petition with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking the recall of Barr. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended senator representing the district in the National Assembly.
The petition, dated March 21, 2025, was submitted on March 24, 2025, at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja by the Concerned Kogi Youth and Women organization.
Charity Ijoshe Omole, the leader of the group, stated that they have lost faith in the senator due to her serious misconduct that resulted in her suspension from the Senate. She emphasized their need for representation, saying, “We cannot afford to be without representation, and we are here to recall her.” She noted that they have 488,000 registered voters in Kogi Central and over 250,000 have already signed the recall petition.
The petition, addressed to INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and titled “Constituents Petition for the Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Grounds of Loss of Confidence,” states: “We, the undersigned registered voters of Kogi Central Senatorial District, hereby exercise our rights under Nigerian law to formally request the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Senate.”
The petition references Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and INEC’s guidelines for recall petitions. It reminds that Akpoti-Uduaghan became senator following a Court of Appeal ruling on October 31, 2023, which affirmed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate as the victor of the Kogi Central Senatorial election held on February 25, 2023.
The petitioners express their loss of confidence in the senator due to her gross misconduct, abuse of power, disregard for due process, and deceitful behavior that have embarrassed Kogi Central and compromised the credibility of the Nigerian Senate and democratic institutions.
They conclude by requesting that INEC promptly initiate the constitutional and procedural steps necessary to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and declare her seat vacant, having secured signatures from more than half of the registered voters in Kogi Central.
