Court Restrains INEC from Receiving Petition on The Recal of Natasha

The Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, Justice Isa H. Dashen, has granted a temporary injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff or agents from receiving, accepting or acting on petition containing fictitious signatures of purported members of the Kogi Central Senatorials District.

Delivering judgment in suit number FHC/LKJ/CS/13/2025, the court also prohibited  INEC from conducting any referendum based on such a petition to initiate the recall process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The application, moved by Smart Nwachimere, Esq., of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co., was granted on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

 The presiding judge while granting the prayers of the applicants, said:

“Upon this Motion Ex-parte dated March 19, 2025, and filed on March 20, 2025, in the Registry of this Honourable Court, praying the Court for the following reliefs:

An order of interim injunction restraining the Defendant (INEC), their staff, agents, privies, or assigns from receiving, accepting, or acting in any way whatsoever on any purported petition submitted by any person or persons containing fictitious signatures and names of purported members of Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The order also restrains INEC from conducting any referendum upon such a petition for the purpose of initiating a recall process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.”

The court subsequently ordered as follows: That an interim injunction is granted. That the return date shall be May 6, 2025, for a report of service and further mention.

This comes week after Senator Natasha accused Senator Akpabio of Sexual harassment.

However, the order was granted two days after some members of the constituents who are allegedly sponsored by some of Natasha’s political opponents, began her recall process in her constituents, Videos that went viral showed the constituents filing out in their numbers to sign the recall petition.

The order was supported by an affidavit of extreme urgency and other court processes sworn to by Anebe Jacob Ogirima on behalf of himself and four other plaintiffs.