One of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s attorneys, Victor Giwa, has alleged that the Kogi State Government is behind the recall of the suspended female legislator from her position as senator for the Kogi Central Senatorial District.
According to him, Kogi governor’s aide, Charity Omole, had led some constituents to submit a petition to INEC for the
recall of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Giwa, who was a guest on a Tv programme on Tuesday, claimed that the state administration has been pushing for
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall through Charity Omole, one of Governor Usman Ododo’s aides.
The female federal legislator and Senate President Godswill Akpabio were at odds over seat arrangements. Akpabio
was also charged by the lawmaker with sexual harassment and official misconduct. She was later given a six-month
suspension by the Senate for her misbehaviour.
Omole, Ododo’s aide, led a group of Kogi Central residents in submitting a petition for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall to the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday, March 24, 2025.
According to Giwa, the state’s All Progressives Congress (APC) administration used the recall process as a political
tool to target the suspended senator, who belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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“The truth of the matter is that there is no way the recall process can go through except it is done fraudulently,” Giwa
said, adding that the process takes about 15 stages and “it is a tortuous and practically impossible process”.
Giwa criticised the recall of the female senator, claiming that it was due to her accusation of sexual harassment
against Akpabio rather than an issue- or performance-based reason.
The attorney claimed that the state government was employing Omole to support the recall effort against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
He said, “In this case, the lady that led that protest is the senior special assistant to the governor of Kogi State on
women and youths. You will see that it is a government-sponsored recall.
“Charity Ijese Omole is currently the senior special assistant to the governor of Kogi State on women and youths. It is
more or less the government sponsoring this process, not the constituents, and that fundamentally has faulted the process.
“The process of recall must be such that it is initiated from the constituents, but in this case, we can see the
handwriting on the wall; it is the governor that is trying to do whatever they claim they are doing.”
The state government has not reacted to the allegation as of press time.
