The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received a petition filed by a group of citizens who identified themselves as ‘concerned Kogi youth and women’  from the Kogi Central Senatorial District to recall Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, the suspended Senator representing the district at the National Assembly.

The petition, dated 21st March 2025, was received by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the secretary to the electoral commission on Monday, 24th March 2025, at the INEC headquarters in Abuja. 

Speaking on behalf of the group at the INEC office, Charity Ijoshe Omole said the petition, which was directed to the chairman of the electoral commission by the registered voters in the district, reflects their loss of confidence in the Senator representing them for gross misconduct that led to her suspension. 

She clarified that over 250,000 of the district’s 488,000 registered voters signed the petition because they could not bear for their senatorial district not to be represented for the six months that Senator Akpoti was suspended. 

“We have lost confidence in her because of her gross misconduct that led to her suspension in the Senate, and we, the Kogi Central, are not to be represented. We have come to recall her because we cannot afford not to be represented. This petition is from Concerned Kogi Youth and Women.

“We, the people of Kogi Central, voted her in, and we are here to recall her. We have four hundred eighty-eight thousand registered voters, and as I speak to you now, we have more than 250,000 voters who have signed for her recall”, she said.

Titled “Constituents’ Petition For The Recall Of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan On Grounds Of Loss Of Confidence”, the petition reads. 

“We, the undersigned, being duly registered voters of the Kogi Central Senatorial District, hereby invoke our rights under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to formally demand the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Nigerian Senate.

“In particular, this petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is brought under Section 69 of the 1999 Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), as well as INEC’S Regulations and Guidelines for Recall Petitions. 

“Kindly recall that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan emerged as our Senator by the verdict of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, which affirmed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate as the winner of the February 25, 2023, Kogi Central Senatorial election. 

“This petition arises from our loss of confidence in the Senator on grounds of gross misconduct, abuse of office, evasion of due process and a pattern of deceitful behaviour that has not only embarrassed the people of Kogi Central constituency but has also tarnished the integrity of the Nigerian Senate and our nation’s democratic institutions. 

“By this petition, which we have made sure is signed by more than one-half of the registered voters in Kogi Central, we hereby demand that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) immediately commence the constitutional and procedural process of recall to remove Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from office and declare her seat vacant.” 

This is coming after the Senate suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months following the adoption of the report by the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions in which she was accused of breaking the Senate rules by creating rowdiness during the plenary session and failing to appear before the committee on the matter. 

Before the Senate pronouncement, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan clashed with Senate President Godswil Akpabio while protesting the relocation of her sitting position, which was changed upon the resumption of hearings without her consent or prior notice, disrupting the plenary session because she openly disagreed with the leadership. 

Although the Senate leadership justified the relocation of seats, Senator Akpoti, who was not convinced, accused the Senate President of denying her the privilege to speak during the plenary. Thereafter, Senator Akpoti appeared on national television to accuse the Senate President of sexual harassment, claiming that he was witch-hunting her because she previously declined his advances. 

What Does the Nigerian Constitution Say on Lawmakers’ Recall?Historical Perspectives on Recall of Lawmakers in Nigeria

Meanwhile, there have been attempts in the past to recall some lawmakers in Nigeria, but such activities have been futile. Their futility cannot be separated from the complexities and politics behind such moves.

For instance, in 2017, an attempt to recall Senator Dino Melaye of Kogi State was made then, based on the grievances of some members of his senatorial district, who complained that the lawmaker was not representing interest in the National Assembly forces. The recall, however, failed even though the electoral commission reportedly verified the signatures of over 188,000 registered voters from the area. 

Similarly, in 2016, some members of the Borno South Senatorial District attempted to recall Senator Ali Ndume for failing to prioritise their wants and demands in his representation, but the action failed from the start because the Senator’s loyalists moved to frustrate the action. 

Senator Jubril Aminu, who represented the Adamawa Central senatorial district, went through a recall process in 2005 due to a lack of confidence from his constituents, who complained about his distance from the grassroots. The process was frustrating, as the complainants could not meet the requirements to recall a senator.

Attempts to recall members of the House of Representatives have been made in the past, but they all ended in futility. For instance, honourables like Farouk Lawan, Garba Datti Mohammed, and Abdulmumin Jibrin have encountered such a move, but the process was later frustrated at some points either due to failure to meet the requirement to execute such a move or political interference.