A section of constituents from Kogi Central Senatorial District has launched a recall process against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, citing a loss of confidence in her representation.
The exercise, which took place in Okehi Local Government Area on Wednesday, saw a significant turnout of voters queuing to register their support for the recall.
One of the participants, Nura Ibrahim, claimed the move transcended party lines, attributing it to widespread dissatisfaction with Akpoti-Uduaghan’s performance, particularly in tackling poverty, infrastructure, and education.
“The decision was not made lightly. Several attempts to engage the senator on pressing issues were met with arrogance and disregard,” he alleged.
The recall process is expected to span two days across polling units in the five local governments of Kogi Central, during which constituents will sign a petition calling for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s removal.
However, reports suggest that some participants were misled into signing.
A town crier had reportedly gone around Okehi on Tuesday, inviting residents for an empowerment program.
Upon arrival, they were allegedly asked to provide their voter card numbers in exchange for money.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distanced itself from the recall process.
Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Gabriel Longpet, stated that he had no knowledge of any such exercise beyond unverified social media reports.
“I am not aware of any recall process. No one has contacted me about any recall in any part of the state,” Longpet said.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is currently serving a six-month suspension following a confrontation with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, during which she accused him of sexual harassment.
According to INEC’s recall guidelines, a formal petition must be submitted to the commission’s chairman by representatives of the petitioners.
The affected lawmaker must also be officially notified, with copies sent to the presiding officer of the relevant legislature and published on INEC’s website.
For a recall to proceed, INEC must verify that more than half of the registered voters in the senator’s constituency have signed the petition.
The verification process takes place at polling units within the affected constituency, with the signatories forming the Register of Petitioners (Form EC41).
