A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, has overturned a previous ruling that had restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from receiving the recall process initiated by constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a landmark judgment delivered on Friday, the court affirmed that the recall process is constitutionally valid and in line with the civic rights of the constituents. It encouraged the constituents to continue exercising their rights in an orderly and peaceful manner.
This development follows an interim injunction issued by the court on Thursday, which had temporarily restrained INEC, its staff, agents, and associates from receiving, accepting, or acting on any petition containing signatures from members of Kogi Central Senatorial District. The injunction also prevented INEC from conducting any referendum based on such petitions for the purpose of initiating a recall process for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, pending the resolution of a Motion on Notice.
The injunction was granted after an Ex-parte application, supported by an Affidavit of Extreme Urgency, filed by Anebe Jacob Ogirima and four other registered voters from Kogi Central. The applicants, through their counsel Smart Nwachimere, argued that the recall petitions contained fictitious signatures from alleged constituents.
While the injunction prevents INEC from accepting petitions with fake signatures or conducting a referendum based on such petitions, the case has been adjourned to May 6, 2025, for further proceedings.
