Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has in her recent mass solidarity rally accused the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio of having given Yahaya Bello, the former Governor of Kogi State, the job of facilitating her recall, killing her in Kogi.
She also revealed that her barely educated constituents in Kogi Central were exploited by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), deceived with a fake empowerment programme which necessitated their presenting their voters’ card. She revealed this as the means via which 250,000 signatures and petitions were collated, sent to INEC.
In her words, “they came around, deceived our women that there was an empowerment programme going on. They told us to come out with our voters’ card. They took advantage of our illiteracy. They took advantage of poverty.”
“And to many of you, many of you who are here. I watched video of a woman crying that I should forgive her. Tell her I am not upset. Even if you are here and you are cajoled or deceived to sign. I am not upset with you because I know that they will not succeed with that illegal act.”
She further alleged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of bias in handling the petition seeking her recall from the Senate appears to have also stripped the said petition of credibility. This is in the light of the incredible turn out for her by Kogi Central people today.
Jubilant Akpoti who while putting her current challenges behind her, spoke courageously to an ecstatic crowd which converged in Okehi Local Government Area (LGA) on Tuesday, alleged that INEC was actively guiding sponsored petitioners affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC) on how to legitimise their claims.
Akpoti-Uduaghan criticised INEC for allegedly assisting the petitioners in refining their submission. She claimed that the initial recall petition lacked essential details, such as addresses and phone numbers, but that INEC intervened to help rectify these issues.
“What I see INEC doing is aiding and guiding petitioners on how to perfect their illicit acts,” she stated.
She further stated that the recall was orchestrated by a fictitious organisation, Kogi Central Political Frontier, whose listed address—No. 4, Oboroke—does not exist. According to her, a search at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) confirmed that the group was not legally registered.
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s rally took place despite a ban placed on public gatherings imposed by the Kogi state government due to alleged security concerns. Akpoti however saw the ban as directly targeted at her.
Arriving in a chopper, the senator defied the restrictions, which also included a curfew declared by Amoka Monday, chairman of Okehi LGA.
She questioned why INEC had not taken steps to verify the legitimacy of the petitioners or their claims, adding that she and her supporters were prepared to challenge the recall process in court.
“I’m still waiting and wondering why INEC has not yet made a statement to that effect or sent people down to Oboroke here, which is just five minutes away, to ascertain whether that address is real. Or have we stooped to the point whereby fictitious, non-existing associations and individuals can call for the recall of a senator? Are we in a kangaroo country? We should not allow that.
“I don’t know whether the process will be stalled, but we are in courts as well. Also, I don’t know when they will come down here to verify.
“But I will say this, if the time ever comes for the verification of the 250,000 people that signed for my recall, I trust that you will do right.”
