The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, have endorsed the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) rejection of the recall petition against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, calling the decision a victory for justice.
The PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, praised INEC for rejecting the recall process, which he argued was not credible.
He remarked, “For the first time, I want to salute INEC and commend them for what they have done in the case of Natasha by declaring that the process is not credible, which we all know is true.”
Ezekwesili also voiced her support for Akpoti-Uduaghan, calling her “courageous and irrepressible” and applauding INEC’s decision. On social media, she tweeted, “Senator @NatashaAkpoti simply keeps winning. Courageous and irrepressible, she keeps beating her traducers who, in gross abuse of public power and institutions, are invested in silencing her.”
The PDP and other supporters see the ruling as a triumph of justice over what they consider politically motivated attempts to recall the senator.
Ezekwesili emphasized that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s victory was part of a larger struggle against forces seeking to undermine democracy, stating, “This Injustice shall not be sustained. And we all continue to stand with her.”
Despite INEC’s rejection of the recall petition, the petitioners remain undeterred. They vow to continue mobilizing constituents and pushing for the senator’s removal, claiming that the recall process was supported by the majority of Kogi Central voters.
However, INEC found that the signatures submitted by the petitioners were insufficient to meet the constitutional requirements for a recall.
In a statement, INEC clarified that only 208,132 signatures were valid out of the 474,554 registered voters in the Kogi Central constituency, falling short of the required 237,278 signatures. As a result, the recall process was deemed invalid and was terminated.
While the petitioners dispute INEC’s findings, accusing the commission of canceling thousands of signatures, they remain committed to continuing their efforts to remove Akpoti-Uduaghan from office. They maintain that the senator’s actions have been divisive and harmful to the people of Kogi Central.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, for her part, expressed her gratitude to INEC for upholding the law. In a statement, she mocked her detractors, including former Governor Yahaya Bello, saying, “God has put to shame anti-democratic forces plotting my recall from the Senate.”
She further criticized political figures who supported the recall, claiming that their actions were driven by personal and political motivations rather than a genuine desire for the betterment of Kogi Central.
In a related development, Amnesty International called for an end to the harassment of Akpoti-Uduaghan, particularly over allegations of sexual harassment against Senator Godswill Akpabio, urging for a thorough and impartial investigation.