Latest news with #NatashaAkpoti-Uduaghan
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'Nobody and nothing fit stop me from coming home' - Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Di suspended senator wey dey represent Kogi Central District for di National Assembly, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan don land Kogi state for one home coming ceremony. Dis dey come despite say Kogi state police ask di organisers of di event to cancel am, citing security concerns. Dis na plus di ban on political gathering and curfew wey authorities put in place for di state, just few hours bifor di senator home coming ceremony. Plenty of senator Natasha supporters troop out to welcome her. Videos wey her media team share on Facebook show as dem gada dey sing and dance, and joy full dia faces. Dem also carry placards wey dem write inscriptions like, "Welcome worthy daughter of Ebira land, di pipo of Okene are solidly behind you, "Welcome Natasha, di pipo of Adavi are solidly behind you, among odas to welcome dia senator and express support for her. Di Kogi central senator as she dey address di crowd tok say she dey happy to come house and nobody fit stop her from coming home, as she be di true daughter of di soil. "Nobody and nothing fit stop me from coming home, I be Ebira girl dis na my land, I no be bastard, I no dey fear anybody, I be di daughter of late Dr Jimoh Akpoti. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan dey di middle of one recall process afta some members of her constituents petition di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) to recall her bicos dem don lose confidence for her representation for di National Assembly. We dey update dis tori
BBC News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Inec resume process to recall female lawmaker wey accuse Akpabio of sexual harassment
Di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) say dem don write Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to tell her about di process to recall her from di senate. For one statement on Wednesday, Sam Olumekun, di Inec tok-tok pesin say dem don receive di contact address, emails and phone numbers of more dan 250,000 registered voters from Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan constituency wey sign di letter of recall. Remember say Inec bin announce on Tuesday say di initial letter of recall no get di contacts of di petitioners and so dem no go fit carry on wit di process, but Olumekun say dem don receive di missing details and di process go now move to di next stage. "We don write letter to di Senator for her official address to notify her say we don receive di petition to recall her. We don also copy di same letter to di presiding officer of di Senate and also publish am for di Commission website," di statement tok. "Di next step na to scrutinise di list of signatories wey di petitioners submit, to make sure say dem dey signed by more dan fifty percent of di registered voters for di Constituency." Olumekun tok say dis next step go determine how di process go progress, and evri outcome go dey public. Akpoti-Uduaghan battle to di senate Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dey represent Kogi Central Senatorial District, and her journey to di senate na thru plenty legal battles wey she win las las. Afta di senatorial election wey happen in February 2023, Inec bin declare Abubakar Ohere of di All Progressives Congress (APC) winner wit 52,132 votes while Akpoti-Uduaghan get 51,763 votes. But Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan reject di result and she take di matter to di election petitions tribunal, wia Justice K. A. Orjiako - di chairman of di panel, cancel di result wey Inec bin announce and declare her as winner. Di tribunal say dem find out dat say di APC candidate Ohere bin inflate im result for nine polling units for Ajaokuta Local Goment Area. Ohere later carry di matter go to di Court of Appeal, wey be di final court of decision for legislative elections, and on 31 October, 2023, di appeal court also return Akpoti-Uduaghan as winner. Dem swear her in on 2 November, 2023. Why her constituents wan recall her? Dis recall process for Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan start since she start to dey accuse di Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harrasment. She don grant interviews including one wit di BBC, wia she insist say di Akpabio sexually harass her many times. Senator Akpabio don deny di allegations. Mrs Akpoti Uduaghan currently dey suspended from di senate for six months afta her fellow senators find her guilty of disobeying dia standing rules. Di recall petition wey some pipo from Kogi Central Senatorial District write to Inec against Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan no mention anything about di sexual harassment matter, however, dem say her behaviour "dey embarrass di pipo of Kogi Central" and also "dey spoil di integrity of di Nigerian Senate". Sake of dis, di petitioners say dem no longer get confidence on her and dem no want her to continue to dey represent dem. Steps to recall a senator Di recall process get three stages: As tins be now for Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan case, step one don dey complete as Inec say dem don receive di petition and e dey signed by more dan half of di registered voters for Kogi Central. Inec go now verify di pipo wey claim say na dem sign di petition, and di verification fit be by calling dem on phone, sending dem emails, or visiting di address wey dem write. Afta dat, Inec go organise something like election wia di pipo go come vote 'yes' or 'no' weda to recall di senator. If di 'yes' pass di 'no', di senator go comot from di senate and Inec go organise by-election for di pipo to chose anoda pesin wey go represent dem.
BBC News
24-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Wetin be di steps to recall a lawmaker for Nigeria and wetin e mean?
One group of registered voters from Kogi Central Senatorial District dey demand for di recall of di senator wey dey represent di district for di National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Dis na as Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan dey in di middle of one controversy wia she accuse di Senate President, Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her. Di group wey call themselves "Concerned Kogi Youths and Women" submit di petition for di recall of di suspended lawmaker give di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) on Monday, 24 March. Di commission secretary, Rose Anthony receive am. Omole Ijese wey speak on behalf of di group tok say, more dan 250,000 registered voters out of di 488,000 voters from Kogi central senatorial district sign for di recall. She say e pass wetin di kontri electoral body ask for. However, di lawmaker for one post on Instagram express hope say nothing fit shift her from her position, and she go represent di pipo of Kogi Central till 2027. "To silence my truth, dem unjustly suspend me and now I dey middle of wayo recall. I trust God say we go dey victorious and I go remain di senator wey dey represent di Unbent, Unbowed and Unbroken people of Kogi Central till 2027," Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan write for di post. Why some constituency members dey call for Senator Natasha recall Dem title di petition, Constituents' Petition for di Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Grounds of Loss of Confidence'. Di constituents write for di petition say, "In particular, dis petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan na according to Section 69 of di 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Recall Petitions." Dem say di petition dey come as dem don lose confidence for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan representation for di National Assembly, even though she get di seat through one Appeal Court decision for October 2023. Dem list gross misconduct, abuse of office, evasion of due process as part of di reasons why dem no want her again. "Dis petition dey come from our loss of confidence in di senator on top di grounds of gross misconduct, abuse of office, evasion of due process, and a pattern of deceitful behaviour wey no only dey embarrass di pipo of Kogi Central but wey also don spoil di integrity of di Nigerian Senate and our nation democratic institutions." Wetin be di steps wey dey involved in recalling a legislator? Di recall process na one constitutional method wey dey allow voters to remove elected legislator bifor di end of dia tenure, if dem lose confidence for dia representation. Di recall process get three stages and e start wit; Di concerned voters or groups wey dey seek di lawmaker removal must submit petition give di kontri electoral body, di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec). Afta Inec receive di petition, di constitution make am compulsory for Inec to carry out verification exercise to confam say na di required percentage of registered voters really sign di petition. Also if di petition dey in line wit di laws, regulations and guidelines for Recall. Wetin be di Verification stage for di Recall Proceeding? Dis na di process of verifying di signatures of those wey sign di petition for a recall. Inec go conduct di Verification exercise for di polling units for di constituency of di affected lawmakers. Na only those wey sign di petition go participate for di verification process. "Sections 69 and 110 of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria and section 116 of di Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) empower Inec to conduct Recall proceedings against a member of di National Assembly, State House of Assembly, or di Area Council of the FCT, afta dem don receive valid petition wey allege loss of confidence in di member, by more dan 50% of voters wey dey registered to vote for dat member constituency," Inec tok. Wetin be di Referendum stage for di Recall process? If di petition pass di verification stage, Inec go come organise a referendum. Dis stage na for all registered voters for di constituency, wey go either vote "YES" or "NO" on weda make dem remove di lawmaker from office or not. For di recall to dey successful, di "YES" votes must pass di total registered voters for di constituency by 50%. Inec dey conduct di Referendum for di polling units for di constituency of di member dem write petition against. If di recall referendum dey successful, Inec go issue Certificate of Recall give di presiding officer of di affected legislative house, dat go officially end di tenure of di senator. Dem go come do bye-election to elect pesin wey go replace di recalled senator for di National Assembly. However, if di referendum fail to meet di required voter threshold, di senator go remain for office. How long Recall process dey take? Di law provide say Inec must conclude a Recall process within 90 days from di date dem receive di receipt of di petition. Recalled members fit re-contest? No law dey wey stop pesin wey dem recall from re-contesting. Oda times wey lawmakers go dey recalled by dia constituents Dis no be di first time, constituents members go make attempt to recall dia representative either from di National Assembly or from di House of Representatives. Di first time na for 2000, wen constituents members of George Okoye wey bin dey represent Njikoka-2 Constituency for di House of Representatives, bin initiate di process. But afta legal battles between Okoye and Inec, di recall fail sake of low voter turnout for di referendum. For 2017, Inec bin receive petition to recall one former senator wey represent Kogi West for di National Assembly, Dino Melaye, but di recall process no scale through. Farouk Aliyu, den a member representing Birnin-Kudu/Buji Federal Constituency of Jigawa State for di House of Representatives, also face a recall attempt, but di process no proceed as fewer dan di required number of voters turn out for di referendum. For 2006, Farouk Aliyu, di lawmaker wey bin represent Birnin-Kudu/Buji Federal Constituency of Jigawa State for di House of Representatives, bin also face a recall attempt, but di process delay becos di required number of voters wey turn out for di referendum no reach di number wey di law stipulate. Dem also initiate one recall process against Umar Jibril, wey bin represent Lokoja/Kogi/Koton Karfe Federal Constituency. But di process no scale through as some oda constituents file counter-petition to INEC, and allege say dem force dem to give dia signatures and dem no give dia consent for di recall. Even though one group don submit dis recall petition for senator Akpoti, concerns dey on how dem take gada di signatures. Reports from di constituency suggest say e be like dem use magomago collect di signatures of those wey sign.
BBC News
19-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Africa Daily How's Nigeria reacted to a Senator's allegations that she's been sexually harassed?
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan says Nigeria's senate President began to sexually harass her in December 2023 and that there were multiple incidents of this nature. She's been speaking publicly about what she says happened and filed a petition to the senate. But earlier this month Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan received a six month suspension from her job over what was described as a 'breach of the rules of the Senate'. There are only four women in the senate and 109 men, so the allegations have got lots of people talking and sparked protests. What does this all say about how sexual harassment allegations are treated in Nigeria? In today's Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja hears more about the story from the BBC's Azeezat Olaoluwa in Lagos. He also speaks to Nigerian lawyer and civil rights activist Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi and Omowumi Ogunrotimi, the founder and executive director of Gender Mobile Initiative.
BBC News
18-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Nigeria senate chamber be like "cult" - Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Nigerian Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan don allege say she experience sexual harassment involving di President of di Nigerian Senate, allegation wey e deny. Speaking to BBC, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan - wey be one of only four women for di 109-member Senate - describe di chamber as "a cult" and say pipo no dey express contrary views for fear of retaliation.
