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Ebira indigenes have condemned claims that the recall process against the lawmaker representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, was not backed by the majority of the electorate in the district.
The indigenes, drawn from the five local government areas of Kogi Central, reiterated their commitment to the recall, stating that the embarrassment caused by the embattled senator had taken an “international dimension.”
This position was contained in a statement on Thursday, jointly signed by the President and Secretary of the Kogi Central Elites Forum, Alhaji Ibrahim Ibrahim and Prince Akerejola Johnson of Ogori/Magongo LGA, respectively.
The constituents urged Nigerians to dismiss what they described as “deliberate mischief” by Akpoti-Uduaghan’s camp, which suggested that people were deceived into supporting the recall exercise.
“No one is sponsoring this recall. Our people are largely united on this cause. From the history of Ebiras, you know we cannot be deceived. What she has done has been mainly propaganda. Even some of us that supported her on social media then are no longer with her. We cannot trade the integrity of the state and Nigeria for a Senator’s selfish, juvenile tendencies.
“A matter as simple as not taking an assigned seat in the Senate should not be one that would warrant a ‘sexual harassment’ national embarrassment of this nature, especially where all evidence point to blackmail. This is not who we are as Ebiras,” the statement read.
Addressing concerns about the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) stance on the recall process, the group clarified that the electoral body’s role had been misrepresented.
INEC has no official role until after this signature collection phase. We are the ones that are doing the recall, the petitioners. We have to ensure that the required threshold is met before formally presenting it for verification. This is where INEC comes in,” they explained.
They urged the public to disregard “mischievous interpretations” of the recall process, stressing that politicians would always frame events to suit their interests.
“For us as Ebira people, we are determined to bring Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan back home. While she is at home, she may learn the rudiments of representing her constituents better.
“Ordinarily, we would never have allowed anyone to intimidate our daughter if she was on her right. But in this particular instance, she disrespected the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which has clear rules and went on to introduce slants that have never been heard of in the history of the Senate.
“We investigated and we know the truth. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan should come home and learn the art of law-making. It is not about content creation like many people have said,” the statement concluded.
The National Assembly has been engulfed in controversy following allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio after Akpoti-Uduaghan was penalized for refusing to adhere to Senate rules.
