Politics

INEC receives petition for recall of embattled Senator, Natasha

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday received petition for recall of embattled Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from a group of registered voters from her Kogi Central Senatorial District.

Natasha is presently on suspension by the Senate over alleged gross misconduct.

The petition for her recall dated 21st March 2025 was submitted on Monday at the INEC headquarters in Abuja by a group which described itself as Concerned Kogi Youth and Women.

The petition was addressed to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

It was titled, “Constituents Petition for the Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on grounds of Loss of Confidence.”

In the petition the Kogi Central constituent said: “We, the undersigned being duly registered voters of the Kogi Central Senatorial District, hereby invoke our rights under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to formally demand the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the Nigerian Senate.

“In particular, this petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is brought pursuant to Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution of The Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended), as well as INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall Petitions.

“Kindly recall that Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan emerged as our Senator by verdict of the Court of Appeal, Abuja on Tuesday October 31, 2023 which affirmed the Peoples Democratic Party PDP candidate as winner of the February 25, 2023 Kogi Central Senatorial election.

“This petition arises from our loss of confidence in the Senator on grounds of gross misconduct, abuse of office, evasion of due process and a pattern of deceitful behaviour that has not only embarrassed the people of Kogi Central constituency but has also tarnished the integrity of the Nigerian Senate and our nation’s democratic institutions

Speaking after submitting the petition, a leader of the group, Charity Ijoshe Omole told journalists that the move to recall Natasha was because her constituent have lost confidence in the senator.

She said; “We have lost confidence in her because of her gross misconduct that led to her suspension in the Senate and we the Kogi Central not to be represented.

“We have cone to recall her, because we cannot afford not to be represented. This petition is from Concerned Kogi Youth and Women.

“We, the people of Kogi Central voted her in, and we are here to recall her. We have four 488,000 registered voters and as I speak to you now, we have more than 250,000 voters who have signed for her recall”.

“By this petition, which we have made sure is signed by more than one-half of the registered voters in Kogi Central, we hereby demand that the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC immediately commences the constitutional and procedural process of recall to remove Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from office and declare her seat vacant”.

Politics

I commend Okowa, Oborevwori for defecting – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has lauded the immediate past governor of Delta, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, for expressing his support for President Bola Tinubu.

Wike gave the commendation in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and Social Media, Mr Lere Olayinka in Abuja on Wednesday.

Recall Okowa, the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 election on Wednesday, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Okowa decamped alongside Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta and other PDP stalwarts in the state, collapsing the entire PDP structures in the state to the APC.

Wike described the development as another endorsement of the president’s good governance and commitment to the development of the country.

He called on other Nigerians, who were still sitting on the fence to throw in their support for Tinubu.

According to him, Okowa and Oborevwori open endorsement of Tinubu is a vindication of the position I took in 2023, which was based on the interest of a united Nigeria.

“I commend Okowa and Gov. Oborevwori for this heart-warming decision, which must have been informed by good governance and commitment of President Bola Tinubu to the oneness and development of Nigeria.

“That is what I have always told people to come out and say, not to be running up and down when they have problems.

“They have come out at the right time to show support for Mr President so that the people of Niger Delta can benefit more from the government, and I commend them for it.

“I am particularly happy that what I saw before the 2023 presidential election, others are now seeing and are joining the “Renewed Hope train,” the minister said.

Politics

Now that you have defected to APC, resign as Delta Gov-Bode George to Oborevwori:

Who owns Alpha Beta? Bode George questions Tinubu’s antecedents

Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has told Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State to resign from office.

He said since he (Oborevwori) defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday, then he should resign because PDP gave him the platform when he contested, won and was sworn-in on May 29, 2023.

George said: “I am shell-shocked. How can our governors from an organised party defect to an unorganised party like APC with only two people – Tinubu and Ganduje – dictatorially controlling the party?

“APC is a party of strange bed-fellows and I urge Deltans not to follow Oborevwori to APC because Delta is a PDP state from 1999 and it shall remain so. Presidency and APC are using instruments of state to coerce PDP governors to defect to APC.

“PDP governors are being threatened. PDP sponsored Oborevwori as governorship candidate. So, he has to leave office. He should resign.

“Attempts to turn Nigeria to a one-party state will fail. What has APC done since 2015 that will warrant any PDP governor to defect to the party?”

Politics

Why I dumped PDP for APC – Delta Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori

Sheriff Oborevwori, Delta State Governor has revealed that his decision to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was driven by the shared goal of promoting unity, enhancing security, and advancing development in the state.

Oborevwori who made this known in a statement through the state’s commissioner for information, Charles Aniagwu, said the PDP in Delta has lost its flavour and can no longer serve the aspirations of its people.

Governor Oborevwori said the decision received unanimous backing from PDP leaders in Delta, as they reached the inevitable conclusion that leaving the party was the only way to ensure political stability.

The statement reads, “The decision was taken to build the bond of love that have existed in our state, to further advance the cause of security and welfare of our people, and to a very large extent, ensure that development in Delta; because every politics is local.

“And in taking that decision we came to the inevitable conclusion that moving out of the PDP is very very necessary for us to be able to collaborate with our kith and kin and build that state that every Deltan will be proud of.

“We believe that what is happening and the state of the PDP is akin to that palm wine whose taste has changed and there was a need for us to change the drinking pattern.

“And that is why this decision has been taken unanimously by leaders and stakeholders of the party.

“By the grace of God, Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement after the fact that we are moving into the APC.”