Court saves Senator Natasha Akpoti -Uduaghan from recall as INEC is barred from taking action

Stanley Ihedigbo

Federal High Court sitting at Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria has granted an interim injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), its staff, or its agents from receiving, accepting, or acting on any petition containing fictitious signatures of purported members of Kogi Central Senatorial District and conducting any referendum upon such petition to initiate a recall process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Federal High Court in Lokoja has dealt a significant blow to efforts to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, granting an interim injunction that restrains the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from receiving or acting on petitions containing fictitious signatures.

The move effectively blocks the recall process, which had been initiated by purported members of the Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The court’s decision was a temporary reprieve for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, whose position as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had been under threat.

The order was sequel to an Ex-parte application for interim injunction supported by an Affidavit of Extreme urgency together with other court processes sworn to, by Anebe Jacob Ogirima for himself and four others (Plaintiffs) who are registered Voters and Constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District of Kogi State.

The application was moved by Smart Nwachimere, Esq of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co on Thursday, 20th March 2025, and was granted as prayed.

In his ruling, the Presiding Judge, Justice Isa H. Dashen, in Suit FHC/LKJ/CS/13/2025 stated that “Upon this Motion Ex-parte dated the 19th of March 2025 and filed on the 20th March 2025 in the Registry of this Honourable Court praying the Court for the following reliefs:

“An order of Interim Injunction restraining the Defendant (INEC), their staff, agents, privies, or assigns from receiving, accepting, or acting in any way whatsoever on any purported partitions submitted to the Defendant by any person or persons whatsoever containing fictitious signatures and names of purported members of Kogi State Central Senatorial District of Kogi State and conducting any referendum whatsoever upon such petition to initiate a Re-call process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Senator representing the said Senatorial District in the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

“It is hereby ordered as follows:
That an Interim Injunction is granted
That the return date shall be 6th day of May 2025 for report of service and further mention”, the Court ruled.

Recall an alarm was earlier raised this week concerning the planned recall process allegedly being bankrolled by a close ally to the Senate President Goodwill Akpabio who is being accused of alleged sexual harassment by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.