Residents of Kogi Central Senatorial District have dismissed the court injunction obtained by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, viewing it as a last-ditch effort to block the recall process against her.
The senator had secured a ruling preventing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or acting on the recall petition.
Responding to the development, constituents from the district’s five local government areas argued that the court action was an acknowledgment that the recall movement was gaining ground.
They stated that when a leader lacks transparency, missteps are inevitable, pointing to what they described as contradictions in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s position.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Kogi Central Renaissance Assembly (KCRA) accused the senator of undermining her own claims by dismissing the recall process as fraudulent while simultaneously seeking legal protection against it.
“It is ironic that someone who called the recall process a sham is now running to the courts to halt INEC’s verification. If the signatures are truly fake, why not let INEC investigate and uncover the truth?” the group questioned.
The statement, signed by KCRA Coordinator Adeku Joshua and Secretary Maleek Sule, maintained that the senator could not impose herself on the people, insisting that the recall process was unstoppable.
“This is a desperate attempt to avoid the inevitable. However, we, the people of Kogi Central, remain resolute. The recall must proceed because we are committed to restoring the integrity of our district,” the statement read.
Reaffirming their determination, the group emphasized that the Ebira people stand for honesty and accountability and would not support what they called “reckless behavior and baseless accusations.”
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Lokoja, on Friday, issued an interim injunction barring INEC from receiving or processing the recall petition, which Akpoti-Uduaghan claimed contained “fake signatures from supposed constituents.”