A group identifying as “Kogi Central Stakeholders” has launched a controversial recall process against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the embattled representative of Kogi Central in the Nigerian Senate.
The move, which critics claim is a politically motivated attack orchestrated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, has ignited fierce debate across the state, with constituents reportedly turning out in droves across wards to participate—or, as some allege, be misled.
The recall effort follows months of tension between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Akpabio, a saga that has dominated headlines since her six-month suspension from the Senate on March 6, 2025, over alleged misconduct. The senator, a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has accused Akpabio of sexual harassment—a claim he denies—prompting her to seek international intervention from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) earlier this month. Now, her detractors cite “gross misconduct and bad representation” as grounds for her removal, though many in Kogi Central see a darker agenda at play.
Accusations are flying that Akpabio has funneled a staggering N4 billion into the recall campaign to oust the senator. “4billion from Akpabio will not work, I knew otumakere and his family can never repent,” fumed Umar Yahaya on Facebook, reflecting widespread skepticism about the process’s legitimacy. Sources close to the senator’s camp allege that the APC is manipulating constituents with false promises of empowerment programs and cash incentives, exploiting their trust to secure signatures.
Social media has erupted with outrage over the unfolding drama. Musa Muh’d Jamiu posted, “Let me tell u people most of this people on that line didn’t know why they’re there, they have been diceived for an empowerment. If u go there and ask them now they will say they want to give them empowerment. After does evil people have collect money from the stupid senate president. I pity my people sha.” Similarly, Prince Abdulsalam Ayab lamented, “I pity the innocent old people in the hot sun doing recalling without knowing the meaning, maybe under influence of #2k, if they had know what they’re doing, I’m sure over 60% of this old people wouldn’t have come out.”
Comr Paul Peter Omeiza didn’t mince words, writing, “APC mobilizing ignorant men and women to do what they do not understand. Shame!” Meanwhile, Omeiza Jamiu questioned the recall’s basis, asking, “Recall for what? This uneducated women has been brainwashed again they might tell them that is an empowerment program.”
The controversy was foreshadowed by a public warning from Akpoti-Uduaghan’s aide, Abdulrahman Badamasuiy, who posted on social media earlier this week. “You are hereby notified of a plot by some people to initiate a recall process of our Distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Nigerian Senate,” the statement read. “Please, do not sign any form or give any information on your voter’s card to anybody in the guise of any empowerment or some money. Their aim is to deceive you into recalling a performing and outstanding Senator and daughter of Ebiraland.”
This isn’t the first time Akpoti-Uduaghan’s tenure has faced turbulence. As reported exclusively by this newspaper on March 18, 2025, her constituents under the Concerned Constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District rallied in her defense, declaring “nothing can ever make us recall Senator Natasha” and vowing to resist any backdoor attempts to undermine her mandate. Yet, the recall push has exposed a rift, with some—like a vocal minority cited in an X post by @MbaAdol on March 15—accusing her of “always using sexual harassment as a favorite card” and branding her a “serial blackmailer.”
The recall process, governed by Nigeria’s constitution, requires signatures from over 50% of registered voters in Kogi Central, followed by verification by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a referendum. As of now, INEC has not confirmed any formal action, leaving the effort’s legitimacy in question. For Akpoti-Uduaghan, who became Kogi State’s first female senator in 2023, the stakes couldn’t be higher as she battles both political foes and a narrative of deception in her home district.
Stay tuned to Truth Live News as this exclusive story continues to unfold, with Kogi Central’s political landscape teetering on the edge of chaos. Whether the recall succeeds or collapses under its own weight, one thing is sure, a party will be in the mud.