Natasha: Petitioners yet to meet requirements for recall, says INEC

*Judge recuses self from senator’s suit against Senate
*Sexual harassment case ‘closed’ at Senate, says Imasuen
*Suspended senator seeks disbarment of senate committee chairman

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not seen the need to commence the recall of Sen Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central), as the petitioners have yet to meet the requirements.

Relatedly, Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has recused himself from the case filed by the senator against the Senate.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Neda Imasuen, said the sexual harassment case against Akpabio by Akpoti-Uduaghan “is closed” at the red chamber.

However, Akpoti-Uduaghan wants Imasuen disbarred for allegedly being debarred outside the country some years ago.

INEC, which admitted receiving the recall petition, observed key deficiencies in the submission of the petition.

Some Kogi Central constituents had, on Monday, stormed the headquarters of the commission in Abuja, where they demanded their senator’s immediate recall. In a petition dated March 21, 2025, they lost confidence in her ability to represent them.

However, in a statement, yesterday, Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, raised concerns that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact addresses, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) in the cover letter forwarding the petition through which they could be contacted as provided in Clause 1(f) of its Regulations and Guidelines.

The commission noted that the only address provided was “Okene, Kogi State,” which it described as inadequate for effective communication.

Olumekun added that the petition contained only the telephone number of “the lead petitioner” rather than multiple contact details of all representatives, as required by INEC regulations.

While affirming the recall process as a constitutional right of registered voters, the commission stressed that it would only proceed with the next step once all submission requirements were fully met.

The INEC’s statement reads: “The commission held its regular weekly meeting on March 25, 2025. Among other issues, the meeting discussed the petition for the recall of the senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District. The process of recall is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 and the Commission’s detailed Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, available on our website. All petitions will be treated in strict compliance with the legal framework.

“The petition from Kogi Central was accompanied by six bags of documents said to be signatures collected from over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units (PUs) in 57 Registration Areas (RAs) in the five local councils of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene.”

INEC noted the recall of a legislator as the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency, who sign a petition indicating loss of confidence in the legislator representing them.

“Once the petition meets the requirements of submission, as contained in our regulations, the commission shall commence the verification of the signatures in each PU in an open process restricted to registered voters that signed the petition only.

“The petitioners and the member whose recall is sought shall be at liberty to nominate agents to observe the verification, while interested observers and the media will also be accredited. At each PU, signatories to the petition shall be verified using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS),” it added.

AT the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, Justice Egwuatu, after taking the appearance of counsel in the matter, announced his decision to withdraw from the matter.

The presiding judge in the matter cited the allegation of bias from the 3rd defendant, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, as the major reason for his decision.

The Guardian gathered that the Senate president had expressed lack of confidence in the ability of the court to do justice on the matter, hence, the development.

Egwuatu said the case file would be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, for reassignment to another judge.

At the last court session, counsel to the first, second and third defendants informed the court that they had not been served with the necessary legal documents.

In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Michael Numa (SAN), insisted that all parties had been served, presenting affidavits of service as proof.

After reviewing the affidavits, Egwuatu confirmed that all defendants had indeed been served. Following this, counsel to the third defendant, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), requested an adjournment to allow for the harmonisation of all legal processes.

Other defence counsel supported the request, arguing that it would enable an expedited hearing when the case resumes.

IMASUEN spoke yesterday while responding to a comment by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, who accused him of bias.

Earlier, Abiola Akiode, counsel to Akpoti-Uduaghan, had asked Imasuen to step down as chairman of the Senate panel.

According to Imasuen, the case is already before the court, and the committee will stay out of the matter.

“Let me tell you, the first petition that came before us was signed by Akpoti-Uduaghan. Contrary to our rules, you cannot sign your petition. The petition that came before us did not even have an address. Contrary to our rules, that petition shouldn’t have been entertained,” he said.

AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN, who filed a petition before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), requests that Imasuen be removed as a lawyer.

The suspended senator alleged that Imasuen was indicted and disbarred by the New York Supreme Court on May 10, 2010, “for fraud, misappropriation of client’s funds and failure to respond to disciplinary authorities”.

She tendered a copy of the Justia New York Case Law 2010, with the title ‘Matter of Imasuen’ to back her petition.

Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan also promised to “lead further evidence from official records of the respondent’s disbarment at the trial of this case”.

According to her, Imasuen was disbarred by the United States court after a complaint was lodged against him by one Daphne Slyfield.

The senator said Slyfied was a client who paid substantial legal fees to him but was abandoned without legal recourse.

She added: “Despite this disbarment, which was hinged on unethical conduct, the respondent failed to disclose this sanction, both in the legal profession and political space, as a senator, and was eventually made the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, a position requiring unimpeachable integrity.”