Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Senator Natasha Petitions IG, Kogi CP Over Alleged Forged Signatures in Recall Effort
Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, over alleged forgery of signatures in a recall petition against her.
Reports indicate that the petitions were submitted on Friday following claims that over 250,000 signatures were gathered to demand her removal from office. The recall effort was led by Charity Ijese and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
The move to recall Akpoti-Uduaghan follows her suspension from the Senate on March 6 for alleged gross misconduct, shortly after she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.
INEC confirmed receiving the petition but initially flagged it for lacking essential contact details. However, a day later, the commission acknowledged that the missing details had been corrected. Controversy deepened when video clips surfaced online, allegedly showing politicians in Kogi State appending signatures to the petition, raising questions about the authenticity of the signatures, especially as only 120,000 people voted in the senatorial district during the 2023 elections.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, led by Victor Giwa, insisted that the signatures were forged and accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State of orchestrating the recall attempt. Giwa stated that the police should conduct forensic tests to verify the authenticity of the signatures before INEC proceeds with any verification exercise.
Meanwhile, the Ebira People’s Association has condemned the recall effort, calling it an “electoral fraud” and a “coup against democratic institutions.” The association’s Secretary, Baba Abdulrazaq, accused INEC of enabling an illegitimate recall process and urged the commission to avoid being used as a political tool.
The controversy surrounding the recall process continues as stakeholders await the next steps from the police and INEC.
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