Court bars INEC from accepting Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall petition

The Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, has issued an interim injunction preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its agents from accepting or acting on any petition containing fictitious signatures in the Kogi Central Senatorial District.

This ruling also bars INEC from conducting a referendum aimed at initiating the recall process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The decision follows an ex parte application filed by Anebe Jacob Ogirima and four other plaintiffs, all registered voters in Kogi Central, citing extreme urgency.

The application, argued by Smart Nwachimere of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co., was granted by Justice Isa H. Dashen on Thursday, March 20, 2025, under Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/13/2025.

In his ruling, Justice Dashen ordered INEC and its representatives to refrain from processing any petition with fraudulent signatures or initiating a recall referendum based on such submissions.

The injunction remains in effect until the determination of the Motion on Notice, with a return date set for May 6, 2025, for further proceedings.

The recall process has been mired in controversy, with allegations that a close ally of Senate President Godswill Akpabio is behind the move. Akpabio himself has faced accusations of alleged sexual harassment from Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, further fueling political tensions around the case.