The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has acknowledged receiving a petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The petition, reportedly signed by a significant number of registered voters, was discussed during the Commission’s weekly meeting on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
INEC confirmed that the recall process is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024. The electoral body assured the public that the petition would be handled “in strict compliance with the legal framework.”
According to INEC, the petition was accompanied by six bags of documents said to be signatures collected from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district.
The signatories are spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) covering the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.
Despite the large number of signatures submitted, INEC noted critical deficiencies in the petition, particularly the failure of the petitioners' representatives to provide a valid contact address, telephone numbers, and email addresses.
“The Commission’s immediate observation is that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s), and email address(es) in the covering letter forwarding the petition, through which they can be contacted as provided in Clause 1(f) of our Regulations and Guidelines,” INEC stated.
It further noted that the only contact information available was the telephone number of "the lead petitioner", rather than contact details for all representatives. Additionally, the listed address, "Okene, Kogi State," was considered “not a definite location for contacting the petitioners.”
The commission reaffirmed that the recall of a legislator is the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency who have lost confidence in their representative. If the petition meets all regulatory requirements, the Commission will proceed to verify the submitted signatures in each Polling Unit.
“Once the petition meets the requirements of submission, as contained in our regulations, the Commission shall commence the verification of the signatures in each Polling Unit in an open process restricted to registered voters who signed the petition only,” It said.
Both the petitioners and the embattled senator will have the right to appoint agents to observe the process, while accredited media and observers will also be allowed access. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be used to verify the authenticity of the signatures.
“At each Polling Unit, signatories to the petition shall be verified using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS),” the Commission added.
In the absence of a definitive contact address, INEC stated that it was exploring alternative means to notify the petitioners’ representatives.
INEC assured the public that it would remain guided by the legal framework in handling the recall process.
“The Commission reassures the public that it will be guided by the legal framework for recall. The public should therefore discountenance any speculations and insinuations in the social media,” the statement concluded.
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