LAGOS, Nigeria – Victor Giwa, one of the legal representatives for Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has accused the Kogi State Government of sponsoring the recall process against the suspended senator.
Giwa, in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, claimed that Charity Omole, an aide to Kogi Governor Usman Ododo, is leading the push for the recall of Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central in the Senate.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was suspended from the Senate after a dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over seating arrangements.
She also accused Akpabio of sexual harassment and abuse of office.
Following these allegations, the Senate imposed a six-month suspension on the lawmaker for misconduct.
On Monday, March 24, 2025, Omole, serving as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Kogi State on Women and Youths, led a group of constituents from Kogi Central to submit a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall.
Giwa, however, rejected the grounds for the recall, asserting that the process was politically motivated.
He pointed out that the recall was not based on the senator’s performance or any specific issues, but was instead a retaliatory move following Akpoti-Uduaghan’s accusations against Akpabio.
“The truth of the matter is that there is no way the recall process can go through except it is done fraudulently,” Giwa said.
He emphasized that the recall process, which involves multiple stages, is difficult to navigate and typically takes a considerable amount of time, making the current petition appear highly suspect.
He further criticized the involvement of Omole, who, he argued, is a key figure in the state government.
“In this case, the lady that led that protest is the senior special assistant to the governor of Kogi State on women and youths. You will see that this is a government-sponsored recall,” Giwa stated.
He added that the process must originate from the constituents themselves, but in this case, it appeared to be orchestrated by the state government.
“Charity Ijese Omole is currently the senior special assistant to the governor of Kogi State on women and youths. It is more or less the government sponsoring this process, not the constituents,” Giwa said.
“This fundamentally has faulted the process. The governor is trying to do whatever they claim they are doing.”
As of press time, the Kogi State Government had not responded to Giwa’s accusations.
