Constituents from Kogi Central have announced their resolve to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, accusing her of bringing shame to the senatorial district and tarnishing the reputation of Kogi State on the international stage. The decision, according to the Ebira indigenes, is rooted in a series of actions that they claim have embarrassed the people of the region, particularly her refusal to follow Senate rules, which culminated in a sexual harassment controversy that has made headlines across the nation.
The statement, issued on Thursday, was signed by Alh. Ibrahim Abdulazeez Ibrahim, the President of the Kogi Central Elites Forum (KCEF), and Prince Akerejola Johnson of Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area (LGA), who also serve as the Secretary of the Forum. Both leaders highlighted that the recall process had the overwhelming support of the electorate and that recent claims suggesting the exercise lacked popular backing were false.
“We are recalling Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan because she has become an international embarrassment,” the statement began, expressing frustration at the ongoing controversy surrounding the senator’s actions in the National Assembly. The constituents from the five local government areas that make up Kogi Central—Adavi, Ajao, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene—said they were united in their decision to remove the embattled senator from office, citing her behavior and failure to effectively represent their interests.
The statement strongly refuted claims from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s camp, which had suggested that people were deceived into participating in the recall process. The constituents vehemently rejected these accusations, declaring that no one was behind the recall other than the people themselves. “No one is sponsoring this recall. Our people are largely united on this cause,” the KCEF leaders asserted, stressing that the majority of the electorate had made the decision themselves. They pointed out that the Ebira people have a long history of integrity and cannot be misled by anyone, including the senator, whom they accused of using propaganda to manipulate the situation.
The controversy surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions began when she refused to accept an assigned seat in the Senate, which, according to the Kogi Central constituents, was a clear violation of Senate rules. Instead of addressing this issue directly, the senator allegedly escalated the matter, leading to accusations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. This sparked a public scandal that quickly went viral, drawing the attention of the national media and creating embarrassment for the entire Senate.
The constituents made it clear that they found Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions to be inappropriate and unbecoming of an elected representative. “A matter as simple as not taking an assigned seat in the Senate should not warrant a ‘sexual harassment’ national embarrassment,” the statement said. “This is not who we are as Ebiras.” The constituents expressed disappointment that a minor issue was blown out of proportion and misused to create unnecessary tension, accusing the senator of blackmailing the situation for personal gain.
Regarding the legalities of the recall process, the constituents addressed concerns over the role of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the matter. Some had claimed that INEC had disapproved of the recall effort, but the Kogi Central indigenes clarified that INEC’s involvement would only come after the signature collection phase had been completed. They emphasized that the recall petition was a grassroots initiative and that INEC’s role would be to verify the signatures once the required threshold was met.
“INEC has no official role until after this signature collection phase. We are the ones doing the recall, the petitioners. We have to ensure that the required threshold is met before formally presenting it for verification. This is where INEC comes in,” the statement explained. The constituents warned the public to disregard any misinterpretations of the recall process, urging them to recognize that political actors would often issue statements based on their personal interests and allegiances.
The Kogi Central constituents made it clear that their goal was not to attack or intimidate the senator personally but to hold her accountable for what they perceive as a failure to effectively represent the people of the region. “For us as Ebira people, we are determined to bring Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan back home. While she is at home, she may learn the rudiments of representing her constituents better,” they stated. They suggested that she might benefit from returning to the region and gaining a better understanding of the responsibilities of lawmaking, rather than focusing on what they described as “content creation” in the media.
The constituents also touched on the broader political implications of the recall process. They stated that, ordinarily, they would never have allowed anyone to intimidate a daughter of the state, but in this case, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s actions had crossed a line. “We investigated and we know the truth. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan should come home and learn the art of law making,” they said. They emphasized that representing the people of Kogi Central was about more than creating viral content or making sensational statements; it was about understanding the rules of governance and effectively advocating for the needs of the constituents.
The sexual harassment allegations that emerged following the seat controversy added fuel to the fire, with critics of Akpoti-Uduaghan suggesting that her behavior was disruptive to the Senate and damaging to the reputation of the Nigerian legislature. Many observers viewed the incident as a clear example of how internal conflicts within the Senate could spill over into public controversies, tarnishing the image of the institution as a whole.
In light of these developments, the Kogi Central constituents reiterated their commitment to seeing through the recall process. They stressed that the decision to remove Akpoti-Uduaghan from office was based on her failure to adhere to the standards expected of a lawmaker and her inability to effectively represent the interests of the people who elected her. “It is not about content creation like many people have said. It is about serving the people, and she has failed to do so,” the statement concluded.
As the recall process moves forward, the spotlight remains on Kogi Central, where the outcome could have significant political implications for the future of the senator and the region’s representation in the National Assembly.
