From Staff Writer
A Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, has lifted a previous order preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from processing a recall petition against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a pivotal ruling on Friday, the court reaffirmed the constitutional validity of the recall process, stressing that it remains a fundamental democratic right of constituents in Kogi Central Senatorial District. The judge further urged all parties involved to exercise their rights in a peaceful and lawful manner.
This ruling comes just a day after the same court issued an interim injunction halting INEC from receiving, verifying, or acting upon any recall petition against the senator. The injunction was granted following an ex-parte motion filed by Anebe Jacob Ogirima and four others, all registered voters in Kogi Central. Their legal representative, Smart Nwachimere, argued that the petition contained fraudulent signatures.
While the court has now allowed the recall process to move forward, it has maintained a restriction on INEC from accepting petitions with forged signatures or conducting a referendum based on such documents.
The case has been adjourned until 6 May 2025 for further hearings.
