The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in a desperate bid to silence dissenting voices and accusations against him, is using his former Chief of Staff, Mr. Etekamba Udo Umoren — who was recently appointed as the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Delta State — to facilitate the recall of suspended Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for alleged “gross misconduct” following a dispute with Senate President Akpabio.
SaharaReporters learnt from top sources that Umoren was allegedly seen at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters Abuja, from 8am to 8pm on Monday, actively working to expedite the recall process against Akpoti-Uduaghan.
A source familiar with the situation told SaharaReporters, that “Akpabio’s former Chief of Staff, Mr. Etekamba Udo Umoren, who is now the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Delta State, is doing Akpabio’s dirty job by ensuring the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.”
The source further alleged that “Umoren was at INEC from 8am to 8pm last night, facilitating the recall process, following Akpabio’s direct instructions.”
Meanwhile, the source claimed that “Akpabio has instructed Umoren to report to INEC every day until the recall process is completed.”
When SaharaReporters contacted Mr. Etekamba Udo Umoren, he neither answered his call nor responded to the message sent to him.
SaharaReporters on Monday reported that about 250,000 registered voters from Kogi Central were alleged to have signed a petition submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall.
A resident who participated in submitting the petition had confirmed this to newsmen in a video seen by SaharaReporters. She insisted the recall effort was driven by constituents.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially received the petition despite a Federal High Court injunction restraining it from doing so.
The petition was accepted on Monday by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.
On March 21, 2025, a Federal High Court in Lokoja ruled in favour of an interim injunction blocking INEC from accepting the recall petition due to allegations of falsified signatures.
The ruling was delivered by Justice Isa H. Dashen in suit number FHC/LKJ/CS/13/2025.
The court order restrained INEC 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 Central Senatorial District and conducting any referendum whatsoever upon such petition for the purpose of initiating a recall process.”
The case is scheduled for a hearing on May 6, 2025.
SaharaReporters had also reported how politicians loyal to former Governor Yahaya Bello orchestrated the fraudulent recall process.
Residents have accused them of deceiving voters into signing recall documents under the guise of an empowerment program.
SaharaReporters obtained videos showing unsuspecting residents being tricked into providing their voter details.
“We are not here for the recall process of Natasha. We are here for an empowerment. And we were given instructions to come with our voter cards,” a resident revealed.
Another resident, Mrs. Joseph, condemned the recall process as fraudulent.
“I call the recall process a mess. Nobody was aware of it at all. These people deceived them with the promise of empowerment. It was only when we arrived that many of us realised this was not normal,” she said.
She further alleged that the recall effort lacked public support.
“People started leaving. I see it as a fraud, and they are doing something the people do not support. I myself do not support it, and the majority of people in this local government are against it.”
The controversy surrounding Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall intensified after she publicly accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment. Following this, she was controversially suspended from the Senate, a move many believe is politically motivated.
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