Court Grants Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Request, Bars INEC From Accepting Recall Petition Against Kogi Legislator

The New Diplomat
Writer

Ad

Surprise as Tinubu Overturns NTA shake-up, reinstates Abdullah Dembos, Ayo Adewuyi

By Obinna Uballa President Bola Tinubu has reversed recent leadership changes at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), ordering the reinstatement of Director-General Salihu Abdullahi Dembos and Executive Director of News Ayo Adewuyi, triggering surprises in the Broadcast industry. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the directive in a…

Chatham House Rebuts Tinubu, Says Corruption Still Crippling Nigeria’s Growth

By Obinna Uballa United Kingdom based policy institute, Chatham House, has countered President Bola Tinubu’s recent claim that his administration has eradicated corruption in Nigeria, asserting that the vice remains deeply entrenched and continues to undermine the country’s economic growth and governance structures. In a new report authored by Dr. Leena Hoffmann, Associate Fellow of…

Ranked: Top Sources of Billionaire Wealth by Industry

Key Takeaways Forbes found finance and investments leads the top sources of billionaire wealth (464 billionaires) in 2025. Technology is the second-most common sector for billionaires (401), adding 59 new names since 2024. The world’s ultra-rich aren’t evenly spread across either the globe or the economy. Instead, their fortunes tend to cluster in a handful of high-growth, high-margin industries. This…

Ad

By Kolawole Ojebisi

The suspended lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has initiated another legal move in a bid to retain her seat in the Red Chamber.

This is as the legislator, on Friday, secured a court injunction barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting the recall petition from her constituency.

The push to recall the lawmaker intensified on Thursday, with more groups in her constituency throwing their weight behind the process.

The move comes on the heel of her suspension from the Senate, after a dispute with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over seating arrangements.

However, on Wednesday, after weeks of back and forth between Natasha and Akpabio and by extension the Senate, constituents began the process for Natasha’s recall.

Meanwhile, the INEC denied knowledge of the process initiated by the Kogi Central constituents.

Despite INEC’s claim, the Federal High Court sitting at Lokoja on Friday, however, granted an interim injunction restraining the electoral body from receiving or acting on any petition seeking to recall her pending the determination of the motion.

The court granted the application following an ex-parte application for interim injunction supported by an affidavit of extreme urgency along with other court processes sworn to by Anebe Jacob Ogirima for himself and four others who are registered voters and constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The application was moved by Smart Nwachimere of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co.

The case was adjourned to May 6, 2025 for a report of service and further mention.

The order read, “That an interim injunction is granted restraining the defendant, staff, agents, privies or assigns from receiving, accepting or acting in any way whatsoever on any purported petitions submitted to the defendant by any person or persons whatsoever, containing fictitious signatures and names of purported members of the said district and conducting any referendum to initiate a recall process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as senator pending the determination of the motion.

“That the enrolled order of this honourable court alongside the Motion on notice be served on the defendant/Respondent pending the determination of the substantive suit. That the return date shall be the 6th day of May 2025 for report of service and further mention.”

Ad

X whatsapp