Indigenes of Kogi Central Senatorial District have criticized the recent court injunction secured by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, describing it as a desperate attempt to block her recall process.
The embattled senator had obtained an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from receiving or acting on a petition for her recall.
Reacting to the development, constituents across the five local government areas of the district asserted that the court action was an admission that the recall process was gaining momentum.
According to them, once intentions are not pure, mistakes become inevitable, citing what they called inconsistencies in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal arguments.
In a statement released on Friday, the Kogi Central Renaissance Assembly (KCRA) accused the senator of contradicting herself by calling the recall signatures fictitious while simultaneously seeking legal protection against the process.
“It is laughable that the same person who labeled the recall process a sham is now asking the court to stop INEC from verifying the petition. If she truly believes the signatures are fake, why not allow INEC to investigate and expose the alleged fraud?” the group stated.
Signed by KCRA Coordinator, Adeku Joshua, and Secretary, Maleek Sule, the statement further insisted that Akpoti-Uduaghan could not “force herself” on the people, stressing that her recall was inevitable.
“This is nothing but a last-minute attempt to avoid embarrassment. However, we, the constituents of Kogi Central, remain resolute. The recall process will go on because we are determined to reclaim our district’s integrity,” the statement added.
The group also reaffirmed its commitment to seeing the process through, arguing that Ebira people stand for integrity and would not support what they termed “unruly behavior and baseless allegations.”
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Lokoja had, on Friday, granted an interim injunction preventing INEC from receiving or acting on the recall petition, which Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed contained “fictitious signatures of purported constituents.”