Court Restrains INEC From Acting On Alleged Fictitious Petitions For Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Recall
The Federal High Court in Lokoja has issued an interim injunction barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or acting on petitions allegedly containing fictitious signatures in the bid to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Isa H. Dashen in suit number FHC/LKJ/CS/13/2025, followed an ex parte motion dated March 19, 2025, and filed on March 20, 2025.
The case was filed by five applicants—Anebe Jacob Ogirima, John Adebisi, Musa Siyaka Adeiza, Hon. Ahmed Usman, and Maleek Yahaya—who argued that fraudulent means were being used to push for the senator’s recall in Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Justice Dashen’s order explicitly prohibits INEC, its staff, agents, or representatives from processing or acting on any petitions containing fake names and signatures or conducting any referendum based on such petitions until the court delivers a ruling on the motion on notice.
“That an interim injunction is granted restraining the defendant, their staff, agents, privies or assigns from receiving, accepting or acting in any way whatsoever on any purported petitions submitted to the defendants by any person or persons whatsoever, containing fictitious signatures and names of purported members of the Kogi State Central Senatorial District of Kogi State and conducting any referendum whatsoever upon such petitions for the purpose of initiating a recall process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Senator representing the said Senatorial District in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pending the determination of the motion on notice,” the ruling read.
The court’s decision follows an ex-parte application supported by an affidavit of extreme urgency filed by the applicants, who are all registered voters from Kogi Central. Their legal team, led by Smart Nwachimere, Esq of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co., argued that the recall attempt was an effort to subvert due process through fraudulent means.
The matter has been adjourned to May 6, 2025, for a report of service and further proceedings.
