Court orders substituted service in Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan recall case
A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja has granted an order for substituted service of hearing notices on two petitioners involved in the ongoing recall case against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Justice Isa Dashen issued the order on Thursday following an ex parte application by the plaintiffs’ counsel, Ehiogie West-Idahosa, SAN.
The substituted service became necessary after the court was informed that the two petitioners Salihu Habib and Charity Omole could not be reached with court summons and notices, despite being signatories to the recall petition against the senator.
The recall saga began on March 20, when plaintiffs Anebe Jacob-Ogirima, John Adebisi, Musa Siyaka-Adeiza, Ahmed Usman, and Maleek Yahaya secured an interim order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from receiving any petition to recall Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan.
However, that ex parte order was vacated on March 24, after INEC argued that no person or institution could lawfully hinder it from carrying out its constitutional responsibilities.
On the same day, some constituents from Kogi Central submitted a petition to INEC seeking the senator’s recall over alleged misconduct in the National Assembly. INEC later declared the petition null and incompetent.
Despite INEC’s position, the plaintiffs continued legal proceedings and requested to join Habib and Omole as additional defendants.
During Thursday’s hearing, West-Idahosa, represented by Smart Nwachimere, told the court the duo had not yet been served the originating summons, prompting the application for substituted service.
The matter continues to unfold as legal battles mount over the legitimacy and process of the recall effort.
