*Senate Dismisses Natasha’s Petition Against Akpabio
*Embattled Senator Wants Legal Practitioners Committee To Disbar Imasuen
*Denies Allegations Of ₦500m Transfer From Senate President
FOLLOWING an amendment by the constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District to address an earlier error in their recall petition against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written to the senator and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, indicating that the contact details of the petitioners’ representatives had been corrected.
A statement issued by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Sam Olumekun, said now the updated contact information of the petitioners’ leaders, including phone numbers, email addresses and other details, was submitted to the electoral body’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Wednesday, Maech 26.
This was after the commission raised concerns in an earlier statement on Tuesday that the petitioners had initially failed to provide the necessary contact details- addresses and phone numbers- as required under its 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall.
In the samme vein, INEC said it had sent an official letter to Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her official address and copied to the senate president, informing her of receipt of the recall petition. The letter was delivered, just as the updated details were uploaded on INEC’s website.
According INEC: “Further to the statement issued yesterday, Tuesday 25th March 2025, the Commission hereby confirms that the contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the chairman of the Commission, dated Wednesday, 26th March 2025.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address.
“The same letter has been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website.”
The statement added that the next phase in the recall process would involve INEC verifying whether the petition has been endorsed by more than 50 per cent of the registered voters in Kogi Central, the outcome of which would determine the next steps, to be made public in the coming days.
The petition, presented on behalf of the constituents by Charity Ijese, and aide to Governor Usman Ododo, was received and stamped by INEC’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on Monday, March 24 at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, has dismissed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s petition against Akpabio, saying the matter was already a subject of litigation, adding that it could not sit on the petition, considering a pending case filed against Akpoti-Uduaghan by wife of the Senate President, Dr. Unoma Akpabio.
Citing Senate Rules, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Nedamwen Bernards Imasuen, said that the practice of the Senate was to desist from entertaining petitions on any matters pending before the court.
On the alleged bias by the senate and her non-appearance before the committee earlier ahead of her six months suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan cited previous remarks by Imasuen describing her petition as dead on arrival.
She queried: “How can the chairman serve as a judge in a case where he has already publicly taken a position? What is the need for us to present our case when a verdict has already been given before hearing us?”
In a related development, Akpoti-Uduaghan has petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, seeking the disbarment of Imasuen from the Nigerian Bar over professional misconduct, saying he was permanently disbarred from the New York Bar in 2010 due to fraud, misappropriation of client funds and failure to cooperate with disciplinary authorities.
According to the petition, his disbarment was ordered by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, following a complaint by a former client, Daphne Slyfield, who accused him of misappropriating legal fees.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also claimed that despite his disbarment, Imasuen relocated to Nigeria and continued to present himself as a legal practitioner, while transitioning into politics, without disclosing his disbarment in his FORM EC-9 submitted to INEC before running for office.
Citing multiple violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (2023), she argued that Imasuen’s actions amount to professional misconduct under Rule 74(1), warranting his removal from the Roll of Barristers and Solicitors of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the embattled senator has dismissed as false and malicious, rumors that Akpabio credited her account with ₦500million to facilitate a meeting at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, insisting it was a complete fabrication designed to mislead the public and damage her reputation.
In a statement on Wednesday, March 26, Akpoti-Uduaghan denied ever making such allegations, insisting that no such transaction ever took place, stating: “Let me be clear: I have never received ₦500million or any amount from Akpabio. At no time did I make any statement suggesting such.
“This is nothing but a deliberate falsehood aimed at causing unnecessary controversy.”
She expressed concern over increasing spread of fake news and politically motivated falsehoods against her and urged the public to disregard the claims, warning that the propagation of lies for personal or political advantage poses a significant threat to the country’s democratic values.
“It is unfortunate that certain individuals are willing to fabricate such blatant lies. I urge Nigerians to verify information before believing or sharing it,” she added, while challenging those behind the rumour to provide any credible evidence to back their claims.
“Falsehoods, like this, are unacceptable. My focus remains on serving my constituents with transparency and dedication, not engaging in baseless distractions,” she stated.
Akpoti-Uduaghan urged security agencies to investigate the source of the misinformation and take necessary action against those responsible, which assuring: “Defamation and character assassination should have no place in our society. I am confident that the truth will always prevail.”
