Constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District may have begun recalling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as signature collection reportedly started in some areas of the district.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported on Wednesday in Lokoja that constituents gathered at various signature collection points across the five local government areas comprising the senatorial district.

Some of the locations visited include Ajaokuta, Adavi, Okene, Lokoja, and Okehi Local Government Areas, where residents were seen participating in the signature drive.

One collection point was the Ihima community in Okehi LGA, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s hometown, where people were observed queuing for the recall exercise.

Abdullahi Usman, a resident of Ihima, told NAN that he joined the process willingly, saying they had lost confidence in Akpoti-Uduaghan’s representation.

“You can see the queue of people dissatisfied with her National Assembly performance, especially following the recent scandal in the Senate chamber.

“We are sending a message to the world that we no longer trust her representation. Her actions have brought shame to us internationally,” Usman stated.

At the Ajaokuta collection point, Hajia Rabi Mohammed said, “We want her to return home, so we can elect someone with a good reputation.”

Samuel Adamu, from Lokoja Metropolis, stated that the recall process began on Wednesday and would last two days across all polling units in the five LGAs.

“We believe that by Friday, March 21, we’ll conclude collecting the signatures needed to file the petition for her recall,” Adamu explained.

He added, “This recall process is taken seriously. We tried to engage her repeatedly without success,” highlighting the community’s frustrations.

In response, Abdulrahman Badamasiuyi, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, described the recall effort as a sham and baseless.

Badamasiuyi urged constituents to ignore the planned verification exercise aimed at recalling Akpoti-Uduaghan from the National Assembly.

“We want the Senate, Nigerians, and the world to know we stand firmly with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against her illegal suspension.

“She remains the one in whom we entrusted our mandate, and no one has the right to violate our democratic and constitutional choices.

“We hereby notify the Senate, Nigerians, and the world that Akpoti-Uduaghan retains our unwavering mandate to serve until May 2027,” he said.

Sule Lamido, a former Jigawa State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain has turned the call by ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasiru El-Rufai for opposition leaders to join forces with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ahead of 2027 general elections.

Lamido made this known in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Sunday, March 16, 2025, dismissing El-Rufai’s invitation as an insult.

His reaction follows a recent call by the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, who called on key opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola, to join him in his new party.

Recall that EL-Rufai, who announced his resignation from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, March 17, 205, made the call in an earlier interview with BBC Hausa.

“My wishes and prayers are for Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Rauf, and all opposition leaders to come and join SDP, not to do a merger or to register a new political party,” he said.

ALSO READ: Kaduna markets associations, women slam El-Rufai, rally to Tinubu, Sani’s sides

Lamido slams El-Rufai

In his response, Lamido reminded El-Rufai that the PDP, which he helped build, laid the foundation for the former Kaduna Governor’s political career.

“The party we formed, the PDP, is the one that gave birth to El-Rufai.

“You’re not enough to make us leave the PDP,” Lamido said, adding, “He once said that there are no adults in Nigeria in politics, but now he is calling on us to join him in the SDP.”

The former Jigawa Governor further probed El-Rufai’s motives for defecting from the APC to the SDP, pointing out alleged flaws in his claim regarding former President Muhammadu Buhari‘s purported endorsement of the move.

“He said he told President Buhari about his decision to leave the APC, but now he is saying that he is one of the adults in Nigerian politics,” he stated.

Lamido stressed that the PDP had not done anything to force him out of the party, reaffirming his long-standing loyalty by saying, “If I was going to leave the PDP, I would have done so in 2014 when the APC was formed.”

The PDP chieftain slammed El-Rufai’s leadership style, saying leadership is not about anger or selfish ambition.

ALSO READ: Drop coalition talks; come and join SDP – El-Rufai tells Atiku, Obi, Aregbesola

“Leadership is done with patience and vision, and doing things for the peace of the followers and the country as a whole,” he noted.

Lamido counselled the former FCT minister to prioritise patriotism instead of showing anger towards others, saying, “What should be done is to put patriotism first, instead of showing anger towards someone.”

Members of market associations and numerous women groups in Kaduna State have reiterated their loyalty and support for President Bola Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani’s administration.

Over the weekend, the demonstrators trooped to the Kaduna metropolis in their hundreds to peacefully express their feelings about recent developments in the polity.

They recounted their alleged bitter experiences under former Governor Nasiru El-Rufai‘s administration and affirmed their support for Sani.

The protesters advised Kaduna residents not to be deceived into opposing the incumbent governments at the state and federal levels.

This follows El-Rufai’s defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

ALSO READ: SDP youths accuse El-Rufai of attempting to hijack the party, reject his defection

While announcing his exit from the APC, the former Governor claimed that his decision was influenced by misalignment of values with the ruling party.

Kaduna market associations, women slam El-Rufai

Meanwhile, the protesters recounted their ordeals during the previous administration’s eight years, alleging that hundreds of market shops belonging to individuals were either seized, demolished or confiscated.

They said the situation triggered ill health in many traders and business owners, leading to paralysis and multiple deaths of their colleagues.

“We’ve been in the market for over 40 years and have never experienced the kind of set backs we suffered under the previous Governor,” Daniel Audu Maigari, a stakeholder of the Kaduna Market associations, has said.

“A lot of lives were lost,a lot of finances were ruined by reason of his kind of policies. We are here to speak with one voice and say that anything that would kind of revive such kind of philosophy in Kaduna market, we don’t want it.”

ALSO READ: Drop coalition talks; come and join SDP – El-Rufai tells Atiku, Obi, Aregbesola

Explaining further, Maigari said, “this incumbent Governor began by healing the wounds, the wounds that were really severed by the former Governor. Governor Uba Sani has been doing so,so very well and that’s why we’ve been with our leader, Alhaji Abdurrahman Mohammed, who like Governor Sani,has been charting the right course, ensuring programmes and plans that will heal these wounds.”

He added that there has never been a time when they have had the impact of leadership in the Kaduna market like they are now.

” Now we’ve lots of incentives, lots of policies that are driving us to progress .We are now standing with one voice to denounce anything that would reverse this,” he stated.

The protesters later marched to the streets, hoisting placards with various inscriptions denouncing the previous arrangements and chanting slogans supporting Tinubu, Sani and the APC.