By joshua 
Bursted? Sen. Natasha Akpoti, Team, Accused of Alledged Forging Signatures in Failed Plot to Ridicule Recall Process
By Ucheni Urah
Abuja, Nigeria – A new political storm is brewing in Kogi Central, as Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan finds herself at the center of a damning controversy. What began as an outcry over allegedly forged signatures in a recall petition has now backfired, with mounting allegations that the senator and her team may have orchestrated the entire episode in a failed bid to discredit the recall process and paint themselves as victims.
The firestorm was ignited when Hamza Lamisi, Personal Assistant to Senator Akpoti, took to Facebook to share images of what he claimed were “forged signatures” submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by a group seeking to recall the senator. Lamisi accused political opponents of fabricating the petition and urged INEC to be transparent and diligent in its vetting process.
However, the narrative quickly unraveled.
In a swift reaction, supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi Central pushed back hard, accusing Natasha’s camp of playing a calculated game. One APC supporter, commenting on the alleged leaked petition papers, said, “You people should tell your madam to change her pattern. This is too laughable and childish.”
He and others pointed out several inconsistencies in the petition documents shared by Lamisi. Chief among them were the irregular voter identification numbers (VINs) attached to names on the signature list. Some of the discrepancies included:
Ganiu Abdul – VIN has 17 digits
Natasha Ackrue – VIN has 19 digits
Ozigi Funny – VIN has 18 digits
Basit Amoto – VIN has 21 digits
Amoto Godwin – VIN has 20 digits
Whereas a valid VIN, as per Nigeria’s electoral database, should consistently be 19 digits in length, the list showed a worrying pattern of error and repetition. Even more suspicious, nearly all the 80 VINs reportedly began with the same prefix: 90FB18F – a statistical improbability that cast further doubt on the authenticity of the documents.
Critics now argue that the senator and her media team may have fabricated the forged list themselves and released it publicly to create the illusion that her political opponents were behind the forgery. “Forgery kids are only clever by half,” one supporter mocked online, suggesting that Natasha’s strategy has been “bursted.”
A critical question now echoing across public discourse is: How did Senator Natasha and her team gain access to petition documents allegedly submitted confidentially to INEC? Electoral documents submitted to INEC are not publicly available until verified and formally acknowledged by the Commission. Many observers believe it would be virtually impossible for the senator to access such documents unless her team orchestrated them. The implication, according to critics, is that the documents were never actually submitted but instead fabricated and released as part of a calculated political stunt.
Adding to the controversy, some Facebook users have recalled a video that trended weeks ago which allegedly showed individuals forging signatures. At the time, it was presented as evidence of malpractice against Natasha’s opponents. However, in light of recent events, the video is now being scrutinized under a new lens, with accusations that the video itself may have been staged by Natasha’s team as part of a broader campaign to undermine the recall effort and sway public sympathy.
In the absence of an official statement from INEC, many Kogi Central constituents and Nigerians at large are now calling for a thorough investigation into the origin of the documents, the video, and all parties involved.
As it stands, the tables appear to be turning on Senator Akpoti, with what was intended as a counterattack now being described as a political miscalculation. The scandal has further polarized the political atmosphere in Kogi Central, raising serious questions about integrity, desperation, and the extent to which politicians are willing to go to protect their seats.
With Nigeria watching closely, this may be one political game too many – and one forgery too far.
Amb. Ucheni Urah, writes from Lugbe, Abuja.