PDP tackles APC as Kogi constituents begin Natasha’s recall
The senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has said he is not bothered about the attempts to have her constituents recalled her from the Senate.
Also, her party, Peoples Democratic Party accused the ruling All Progressives Congreess of sponsoring the recall process, insisting that it would fail.
On Wednesday, scores of people in Natasha’s constituents in Kogi Central announced that they had initiated a recall process against her, citing a vote of no confidence in her representation.
The recall process, witnessed in the Okehi Local Government Area, on Wednesday, saw a large number of electorate in queue to register their support for the recall process.
But speaking to The PUNCH, through her media aide, Israel Arogbonlo, the suspended senator dismissed the process.
“Whatever you are seeing is being sponsored by the fifth columnists. We have no reason to want to take issue with anybody. As far as we are concerned, the recall attempts wouldn’t stand.
“We are not under any form of pressure and we will never be. I hope you recall there was a protest by our actual constituents two days ago that there was no plan to recall anybody,” Arogbonlo said.
Also, in an interview with The PUNCH, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, described the recall as politically motivated.
He alleged that Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and former Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, are the masterminds behind the recall initiative.
Akpoti-Uduaghan has been engaged in a public dispute with Senate President Akpabio after she questioned the relocation of her seat in the Senate.
She later accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, a claim that the Senate President refuted.
Following the altercation, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for violating Senate rules, a decision widely condemned, although the Senate insisted it was within its legal rights.
In a dramatic twist, constituents in Kogi Central began signing a petition for her recall on Wednesday.
The process kicked off in the Okehi Local Government Area, where a large turnout of voters lined up to sign the register.
Several constituents, including Ahmed Abdulkarim, a party leader in Ajaokuta Local Government, expressed disappointment in the senator’s performance.
“I know Natasha. I’m fondly called ‘Baba Natasha,’ but today, no more Baba Natasha. We are recalling her because she refused to do what we asked her to do. Instead, she’s fighting our own Senate President,” Abdulkarim said.
Another constituent, Nura Ibrahim, emphasised that the recall initiative transcended political party lines, driven by widespread discontent over Akpoti-Uduaghan’s performance, particularly in addressing poverty, infrastructure, and education. Ibrahim explained that efforts to engage the senator had been met with disdain and arrogance.
“The decision to initiate the recall was not taken lightly,” he said. “We tried engaging her on several occasions, but she ignored us.”
“Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has disappointed us. She is not doing what we asked her to do for us. That is the reason we that voted her to be a senator and we have now agreed unanimously that we are recalling her because she refused to do the needful,” another constituent said.
The recall process is set to take place over two days across all polling units in Kogi Central’s five local governments, where constituents will be required to sign a petition calling for the senator’s removal.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Gabriel Longpet, denied having any knowledge of the recall process, telling The PUNCH, “I am not aware of any recall process, apart from the unconfirmed reports flying around on social media. No one has contacted me about any recall in any part of the state.”
In response, the PDP Publicity Secretary vowed that the party would oppose any efforts to suppress the opposition.
Ologunagba stated that the recall was not related to performance, praising Akpoti-Uduaghan as an exceptional legislator.
He stated, “We have said from the beginning that the Senate had, on its own, run counter to its rules, which is basically a concern for fair hearing. No matter how ridiculous an allegation might be, the proper course of action is to ensure that the allegation is given an opportunity to be presented.
“If you have been accused, rightly or wrongly, you cannot be the judge in your own cause. You saw the shenanigans that happened on the floor of the Senate, where the Senate President, who was accused of sexual harassment, was the one reading out the outcome, punishing the person who accused him. Again, this shows a significant gap.
“So, her recall is part of the puzzle—the big gap of trying to threaten everyone who can speak out and going after the opposition. Natasha has been an outstanding legislator. Her people have found out that she is a good representative. Don’t forget that you have the former Governor, Yahya Bello, who is being tried for fraud in that state, and he’s allegedly at the forefront of this recall process.
“We will continue to stay on that and ensure that the recall fail. It is politically motivated. It is not based on her performance in the Senate, because she remains an outstanding senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Senate president should ensure that he goes to clear his name of this allegation. The Senate should redeem itself by ensuring that this allegation is investigated and that a fair playing ground is provided for both the person accused and, of course, the Senate president.”
Meanwhile, Natasha’s legal battle over her Senate suspension faced a setback on Wednesday when the Federal High Court in Abuja vacated its earlier order that had declared her suspension null and void.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu overturned the ruling after hearing arguments from both parties.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had previously sued the Senate, the Senate President, and others, seeking to stop the investigation into allegations of misconduct against her.
The investigation stemmed from events during a February 20 plenary session, and she sought an interim injunction to prevent further proceedings.
On March 4, Justice Egwuatu had granted an interim injunction, declaring any actions taken by the defendants while the case was pending as null and void.
However, just two days later, the Senate’s Ethics Committee found Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of misconduct and suspended her for six months without pay, prompting her to file a contempt charge.
In a motion filed on March 17, the Senate, through its lawyer, sought to set aside the interim injunction, arguing that it lacked clarity and violated the separation of powers doctrine. Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Michael Numa, urged the court to dismiss the Senate’s application, accusing them of defying a valid court order.
Justice Egwuatu sided with the Senate’s arguments, ruling to set aside the earlier injunction.
The case was adjourned until March 25 for the hearing of all pending applications.
