The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified why the recall petition against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central was dismissed, explaining that it failed to meet the constitutional criteria.
In a statement issued on Thursday, INEC referenced Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which stipulates that a recall petition must be signed by at least 50% plus one of registered voters in the constituency. However, the Commission noted that only 208,132 out of 474,554 registered voters, roughly 43.86%, signed the petition, rendering it invalid for further action.
“The petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has NOT met the requirement of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended),” the statement, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony, read. “NO FURTHER ACTION shall be taken on the petition.”
The recall effort began on March 24 when some Kogi Central constituents submitted the petition to INEC, citing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Senate and the resulting lack of representation. Charity Omole, a spokesperson for the petitioners, insisted that the recall was necessary to ensure the district had an active voice in the Senate.
“We have come to recall her so that we can have a representative in the Senate,” Omole said. “We are here to tell INEC to follow the constitutional process for a recall so that it can begin.” She also claimed that more than 250,000 registered voters had signed the petition.
However, INEC revealed that the petitioners initially failed to provide contact details, delaying the review process. The Commission later confirmed that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been notified of the recall attempt and that the petitioners had supplied the necessary details.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused INEC of bias, claiming the electoral body had helped the petitioners correct errors in their submission. She also argued that the petition was politically motivated and orchestrated by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“What I see INEC doing is aiding and guiding petitioners on how to perfect their illicit acts,” she said during a homecoming rally on Tuesday. “The first time the petition was submitted, they didn’t have an address or phone numbers, so INEC guided them on how to correct their submission.”
She further alleged that the petitioners, under the name Kogi Central Political Frontier, had provided an address linked to the APC.
Despite the controversy, INEC’s decision has effectively ended the recall attempt, confirming that it did not meet the necessary constitutional requirements to proceed.
