In what is fast becoming a political tradition in Kogi state, the recurring spectacle of recall attempts — first against Senator Dino Melaye in 2018 and now Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan — underscores how the constitutional tool of recall has been weaponised for partisan battles rather than genuine accountability.
The irony is almost laughable: those who should be celebrated for their visible impact and fearless representation are instead being dragged into needless political drama orchestrated by forces too threatened by popularity to compete fairly.
Kogi Central, in particular, has become a theatre of absurdity where the more a senator performs, the more their political enemies mobilise against them using a handful of constituents as pawns.
Dino Melaye, love him or loathe him, was one of the most vocal and impactful senators of his time. His recall process was loud but eventually futile, proving just how detached these attempts often are from the will of the majority.
Now, Senator Natasha, whose legislative performance and developmental strides have been widely acknowledged, is facing the same script — recycled actors, same tired plot.
This culture of political sabotage not only undermines democracy but also insults the intelligence of the electorate. When performing lawmakers are the ones consistently targeted, one begins to question the sincerity of those pushing for these recalls.
Is it truly about poor representation, or is it a veiled panic in the face of rising political capital? For a region grappling with underdevelopment, insecurity, and poor infrastructure, one would expect its people to protect and preserve every flicker of purposeful leadership.
But perhaps the bigger tragedy lies not in the acts themselves, but in the silence — or worse, the complicity — of those who should know better. The state appears locked in a cycle where political ambition overrides public interest, and truth is whatever those in power say it is.
Rather than rallying around their champions, a segment of Kogi constituents seem ever ready to be used as blunt instruments of political revenge. Until the people of Kogi rise above these juvenile distractions and demand a politics of substance, they will remain spectators in a game rigged against their own progress.
The real enemies of the people are not the senators who raise their voices or attract development, but those who plot their downfall under the guise of recall. And as history has shown, unserious constituents often get the leadership they deserve.