In a major legal development, the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has issued an interim injunction preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or acting on any petition aimed at recalling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday, March 20, 2025, bars INEC and its agents from conducting any referendum based on petitions containing allegedly fictitious signatures from purported constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District. The injunction will remain in effect until the court hears the substantive Motion on Notice.
The court’s decision follows an ex-parte application filed by Anebe Jacob Ogirima and four others, all registered voters in Kogi Central. They argued that fraudulent efforts were being made to undermine the legitimacy of the senator’s mandate. The application was moved by Smart Nwachimere, Esq. of West-Idahosa, SAN & Co.
The case has been adjourned to May 6, 2025, for further proceedings, as stakeholders await the next legal steps in this unfolding political battle.
