Petitioners mobilise constituents for fresh Natasha’s recall

Following the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) dismissal of the recall petition against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, some petitioners have pledged to rally more constituents in a renewed effort to remove her from office.

INEC, in a statement issued on Thursday, announced that the petition did not meet constitutional requirements, as it lacked the necessary signatures from more than half of the registered voters in the senatorial district.

Undeterred by the decision, the petitioners insisted they had gathered more than the required 50 percent plus one of registered voters but alleged that INEC’s validation process only recognized 43.86 percent of the signatures, suggesting that many were disqualified.

“Apparently, INEC cancelled not less than 35,000 signatures at the administrative stage,” the constituents said. Reacting to the commission’s statement, the petitioners’ leader, Salihu Habib, reiterated their determination to see the recall through.

“We will liaise with INEC within the full ambits of the Constitution and regulations to demand transparency in the handling of our petition. We have utmost confidence in the commission not to subject the recall process to ambiguity or administrative opacity,” he stated.

Habib also thanked INEC for validating that a significant portion of Kogi Central constituents had turned against the senator.

“We thank INEC for making it clear that the bulk of the people of Kogi Central are behind us and that we did not import a crowd like a desperate, embattled lawmaker,” he added, emphasizing that their resolve to recall Akpoti-Uduaghan remained firm.

The petitioners accused the senator of divisive politics, claiming she made inflammatory remarks during a recent gathering.

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“The whole of Nigeria watched her deceptive rally last Tuesday where she openly made comments capable of setting not just Kogi State, but Nigeria, ablaze.

“How can any patriotic Nigerian accuse other parts of the country of sabotaging Kogi State/the North because LNG plants are sited here? How can a responsible Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria try to pit the North against the South?” they said.

They vowed to continue pursuing all lawful avenues to ensure their concerns were addressed.

“We will pursue all lawful and constitutional means to ensure our voices are heard and respected. After God, power belongs to the people,” they asserted.

However, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Victor Giwa, dismissed the petitioners’ insistence on continuing the recall process, describing it as a futile distraction.

“Everything has failed. It is just a distraction. They should focus on the issue of the National Assembly and allow Natasha to do her job as a legislator. We are entering the rainy season. They should focus on their farms. They should wait until her tenure is over before they can think of voting her out,” he said.

Giwa welcomed INEC’s rejection of the petition, suggesting that the commission had been under pressure but ultimately made the right decision.

“I had written to INEC that the proper thing to have done was to reject that petition and told the chairman the same thing when I met him.
“Although they must have been forced to redeem their image, I think INEC has done well. So we celebrate the fact that they have come out publicly to reject that petition,” he stated.

He further expressed hope that the failed recall attempt would pave the way for the Senate to reconsider Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension.

“Of course, this is one of the steps taken to ensure she returns to the Senate. With this rejection now, (Senate President Godswill) Akpabio will know there is no other barrier other than to just quickly withdraw the suspension and allow her to come back to the National Assembly,” he added.

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In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her media team, commended INEC for dismissing what she described as a fraudulent attempt to remove her from office.

She thanked the commission for upholding constitutional principles and criticized former Governor Yahaya Bello and other political figures she accused of orchestrating the recall attempt.

“God has put to shame anti-democratic forces plotting my recall from the Senate, including one of the most wanted persons by the EFCC, former governor Yahaya Bello. All along, I did not exercise any fear because I have a God that never fails, and I have people on my side.

“The decision to reject the recall process is justice against injustice. INEC has proven to be truly independent, and history will never forget this justice. I commend the umpire for shaming the shameless agents of darkness and setting the record straight according to the laws of our land.

“To God be the glory, we have defeated them again. This development is another record-breaking victory against those who prefer coming from the backyard—the manipulators, election riggers, the violent merchants, and their allies in Kogi Central and beyond. Bear in mind that your days are numbered in politics. I am out to bring justice to the oppressed and to ensure Nigeria is great again,” she declared.

Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, the suspended senator criticized Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo for allegedly interfering in her ability to engage with her constituents.

Responding to Ododo’s directive that she refrain from holding a rally due to potential security concerns, Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that her gathering was private and within her personal property.

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“I don’t think the state governor has the right to dictate what I speak and how I communicate with my people. Well, that’s a private gathering. And that’s how my people gather for me every time I’m home.

“So, that’s it. I don’t know what his definition of a public gathering is. But to me, that’s not a public space, that’s not a community hall, that’s my compound. The whole area you see there, it’s owned by me. And that’s where people gather,” she explained.

She acknowledged that political tensions had been high among her supporters but said she had actively worked to maintain peace.
“It took a whole lot for me to speak calm to my people in the past one month so that they would not react to my suspension or the harassment claim because they were very upset when I came up on Arise TV then to narrate the challenges I had to face in the Senate the past one year. So, that ordinarily created a lot of anger in the minds of an average Ebira person.

“So, I had to preach calm to them. I’ve told them to be law-abiding citizens, not to take the law into their own hands. And believe me, if you know the history of my people, you actually appreciate the fact that they have remained peaceful,” she said.

Despite her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan asserted that she still holds her position as senator and remains committed to engaging with her constituents.

“The fact that I’m suspended illegally does not remove my legitimacy as a senator. I remain a senator. And at every gathering, I owe my people a duty to educate them on politics and their expectations with regards to the situation we face, which was the recall,” she stated.

She also accused Governor Ododo of aligning with Bello to facilitate her recall, alleging that several key petitioners were members of Ododo’s administration.

“To a large extent, I thought he (Ododo) was on my side until he took heed of ex-governor Yahaya Bello’s request, which was to align with my recall. I was actually surprised at that.

“The petitions, the primary petitioners, the 14 of them that submitted the first cover letter, were all signed by special advisors to Ododo himself. He does have a hand. He gave approval. They’re all his staff, all of them. I don’t deal with just rumours, I make sure I verify,” she asserted.

Petitioners mobilise constituents for fresh Natasha’s recall

(PUNCH)