The Ebira Community, under the umbrella of the Kogi Central Elites Forum, has reaffirmed its commitment to recalling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating that the process was initiated by the people and will not be reversed.
In a statement released in Lokoja, signed by the forum’s President, Alh. Ibrahim Abdulazeez, and Secretary, Prince Akerejola Johnson, the group insisted that the recall effort was justified due to what they described as national and international embarrassment caused by the senator.
The statement read: “Ebira indigenes have condemned, in strong terms, insinuations that the recall process against the lawmaker representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, was not endorsed by the majority of the electorate in the area.
“The indigenes from across the five local governments of Kogi Central have resolved to bring the embattled senator back home through constitutional processes.
“We want Nigerians to disregard the deliberate mischief by a few sympathizers of Natasha suggesting that people were deceived into coming out for the recall exercise.
“No one is sponsoring this recall. Our people are largely united on this cause. From the history of the Ebiras, you know we cannot be deceived. What she has done has been mainly propaganda. Even some of us who supported her on social media then are no longer with her. We cannot trade the integrity of the state and Nigeria for the selfish, juvenile tendencies of a senator.”
“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 points to blackmail. This is not who we are as Ebiras.”
Addressing concerns about the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disowning the recall process, the group clarified that the commission’s role comes later in the process.
“INEC has no official role until after this signature collection phase. We are the ones 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.
“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 in the 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 lawmaking. It is not about content creation, as many people have said.”
The controversy stems from allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, which emerged after Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan refused to adhere to Senate rules and faced disciplinary action.
