Just In: Court Bars INEC from Accepting Recall Petition for Natasha
The Federal High Court in Lokoja has issued an interim injunction preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting petitions aimed at initiating a recall process against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Reports indicate that the efforts to recall the suspended senator intensified on Thursday, with several groups in Kogi Central expressing their support for the initiative. However, a group of Ebira indigenes denied claims that the recall process was being financially backed and influenced by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s political opponents.
The court’s order, issued on Thursday, also prohibits INEC staff, agents, and associates from accepting or acting on petitions that contain fictitious signatures of supposed members from the Kogi Central Senatorial District. Furthermore, it restricts INEC from conducting any referendum until the motion on notice is resolved.
The application for the injunction was filed as an ex-parte request, supported by an affidavit citing an urgent need for intervention. The court documents were submitted by Anebe Jacob Ogirima, representing himself and four other registered voters from the Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The motion was presented by Smart Nwachimere, Esq., of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co. The case is scheduled to be revisited on May 6, 2025, for a report on the service and for further discussions.
In response to this development, the pressure group Action Collective praised the judiciary for its decision. The group’s coordinator, Dr. Onimisi Ibrahim, noted that the order would further highlight the impunity of certain individuals behind the failed attempt to recall Senator Natasha. Read More
