The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on Thursday that the petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has failed to meet the constitutional requirements necessary for such a process.
In a statement released on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, INEC stated:
“The petition for the recall of the senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”
Providing further details, INEC disclosed that during its routine weekly meeting held on Thursday, it reviewed and approved the findings from the physical verification of signatures and thumbprints submitted alongside the recall petition. This process was carried out in accordance with Clause 2(b) of the 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall.
According to the electoral body, a valid petition for recalling a senator must strictly adhere to Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates that more than half of the registered voters within the affected constituency must append their signatures to the petition.
In the case of Kogi Central, the commission clarified that the total number of registered voters across the senatorial district’s 902 polling units, 57 registration areas, and five local government areas was used as a benchmark for verification.
Following a thorough review, INEC confirmed that the petitioners submitted 208,132 signatures and thumbprints, which accounted for only 43.86% of the registered voters in the district. This figure was 29,146 signatures short of the constitutional threshold.
As a result, INEC declared that the petition does not fulfill the legal requirement outlined in Section 69(a) of the Constitution, thereby terminating any further proceedings on the recall attempt.
“Consequently, the petition has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution. Therefore, no further action shall be taken on the recall of the senator,” the commission stated.
In accordance with Clause 2(d) of the 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall, INEC issued a Public Notice reflecting its decision. The notice was also forwarded to the presiding officer of the Senate for record purposes.
Reiterating its commitment to fairness and transparency, INEC highlighted the procedural steps it followed throughout the recall process. The commission:
1. Ensured that the petitioners complied with the required submission guidelines.
2. Officially notified the senator being targeted for recall.
3. Informed the presiding officer of the Senate and published the recall notice on its website.
4. Conducted a meticulous verification of the submitted signatures/thumbprints to confirm compliance with constitutional requirements.
Following the conclusion of this verification exercise, INEC has now made the findings publicly accessible through its website and social media platforms, where a summary of the review—disaggregated by local government areas—has been uploaded for transparency and public scrutiny.
