The Federal High Court in Lokoja has issued an interim injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or acting on any petition seeking to initiate a recall process against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, pending the determination of a Motion on Notice.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday, bars INEC, its staff, agents, and assigns from receiving any petition containing fictitious signatures of purported members of Kogi Central Senatorial District or conducting a referendum based on such a petition.
The ruling read, “It is hereby ordered as follows;
“That an interim injunction is granted restraining the Defendant, their staff, agents, privies or assigns from receiving, accepting or acting in any way whatsoever on any purported petitions submitted to the Defendant by any person or persons whatsoever, containing fictitious signatures and names of purported members of Kogi State Central Senatorial District of Kogi State and conducting any referendum whatsoever upon such Petition for the purpose of initiating a re-call process of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as Senator representing the said Senatorial District in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.
“That the enrolled order of this Honourable Court alongside the Motion on Notice be served on the Defendant/Respondent pending the determination of the substantive suit.”
The court’s decision followed an Ex-parte application for interim injunction, supported by an Affidavit of Extreme Urgency and sworn to by Anebe Jacob Ogirima and four others, all registered voters and constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
