The Federal High Court in Lokoja has issued an interim injunction halting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from receiving petitions for the recall of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The ruling, handed down on Thursday, also prohibits INEC staff and agents from accepting petitions containing allegedly fake signatures and from conducting any referendum related to the recall process, pending further court decisions.
The decision followed an urgent motion filed by constituents from Kogi Central, who claim the recall effort is based on fraudulent signatures.
Speaking after the ruling, Smart Nwachimere, Esq., who represented the applicants, expressed satisfaction, saying, “We welcome the court’s decision as it upholds the integrity of the electoral process and protects the rights of the people of Kogi Central.”
Dr. Onimisi Ibrahim, the coordinator of the pressure group Action Collective, also praised the judiciary, commenting, “This order exposes the impunity of those behind the failed plot to remove Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.”
The case has been adjourned until May 6, 2025, for further proceedings, as the legal battle over the recall petition continues.