INEC receives petition for the recall of Senator Natasha from Senate
On Monday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) received a petition demanding the removal of Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from her position by registered constituents.
The Senate has suspended Natasha for what they believe to be gross misconduct toward the Senate.
One of the main news stories about the Kogi Central Senator revolves around her claims about Senate President Godswill Akpabio facing sexual harassment accusations.
The petition seeking her recall submitted on March 21, 2025, reached INEC headquarters in Abuja where Concerned Kogi Youth and Women presented it.
An official document addressed to Prof. Mahmood Yakubu who serves as the position of INEC Chairman.
A document named “Constituents Petition for the Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on grounds of Loss of Confidence” made up the petition.
In the petition, the Kogi Central constituent said:
We, the undersigned being duly registered voters of the Kogi Central Senatorial District, hereby invoke our rights under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to formally demand the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Nigerian Senate.
In particular, this petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is brought pursuant to Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), as well as INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall Petitions.
Kindly recall that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan emerged as our Senator by the verdict of the Court of Appeal, Abuja on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, which affirmed the Peoples Democratic Party PDP candidate as the winner of the February 25, 2023, Kogi Central Senatorial election.
This petition arises from our loss of confidence in the Senator on grounds of gross misconduct, abuse of office, evasion of due process, and a pattern of deceitful behavior that has not only embarrassed the people of the Kogi Central constituency but has also tarnished the integrity of the Nigerian Senate and our nation’s democratic institutions.
The group leader Charity Ijoshe Omole notified journalists following the petition filing that the constituent lost their confidence in Senator Natasha.
She said;
We have lost confidence in her because of her gross misconduct that led to her suspension in the Senate and we the Kogi Central not to be represented.
We have come to recall her because we cannot afford not to be represented. This petition is from Concerned Kogi Youth and Women.
We, the people of Kogi Central voted her in, and we are here to recall her. We have four 488,000 registered voters and as I speak to you now, we have more than 250,000 voters who have signed for her recall.
By this petition, which we have made sure is signed by more than one-half of the registered voters in Kogi Central, we hereby demand that the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC immediately commences the constitutional and procedural process of recall to remove Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from office and declare her seat vacant.
