The effort to remove Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central in the National Assembly, gained momentum on Thursday as several groups in her district voiced their support for her recall.
This follows her suspension from the Senate after a dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, took the matter to both local and international media, as well as the United Nations Inter-Parliamentary Union.
However, her suspension was attributed to “gross misconduct” after she refused to vacate her designated seat in the Senate, an issue that escalated into public controversy.
Despite the controversy, a group called the Kogi Central Women Development Association strongly backed the push for her removal, accusing the senator of turning the Senate into a spectacle instead of focusing on governance.
“We believe her actions undermine the efforts of other female politicians in the region,” said Omole Charity Ijese, a representative of the group.
The Kogi Central Political Frontier also criticized Akpoti-Uduaghan for not prioritizing the interests of her constituents.
The group noted her refusal to apologize to the Senate and escalated the issue globally instead of following proper legal channels.
While many in her constituency support the recall effort, a coalition of northern youth groups condemned the recall process, calling it unconstitutional and politically motivated. The youth groups argued that the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan lacked due process and was biased against her.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, however, dismissed the recall efforts, accusing her political opponents of sponsoring the movement. She also maintained that her suspension was a retaliatory move after she raised the sexual harassment allegations against Senate President Akpabio.
As the situation continues to unfold, the Kogi Central Elites Forum, an association of Ebira indigenes, rejected the claim that the recall process was orchestrated by outside political forces, stating, “Our people are largely united on this cause.”