By Jane Okafor, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Tuesday, revealed that it has begun scrutinizing the petition for the recall of the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stressing that over 237,000 of the Signatories to the petition did not include their contact details.
In a statement signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the commission acknowledged receiving the petition comprising six bags of documents bearing signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the senatorial district.
It however, INEC pointed out that the petitioners failed to provide the vital contact details, such as their addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, as required under the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
The Daily Crucible reports that the petition, presented on behalf of the constituents by Charity Ijese was received by INEC’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on Monday.
Charity Ijese identified the petitioners as concerned Kogi Central Youths and Women.
The petition was titled “Constituents’ Petition for the Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Grounds of Loss of Confidence.”
The petitioners sought her removal following accusations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and a pattern of deceit.
It was learnt that only the phone number of the lead petitioner was provided while the rest were said to be lacking in vital contact information.
INEC also observed that the petition represents voters from five local government areas—Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene—covering 902 polling units across 57 registration areas but decried the vague address such as “Okene, Kogi State” supplied by them —which does not meet the standards outlined in the commission’s regulations.
According to the commission, a recall process is governed by the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s own detailed guidelines.
The INEC explained that once the petition meets all the legal requirements, it will initiate the verification of signatures in a transparent process at each polling unit, saying the signature verification will be conducted using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System while the media and other observers will be accredited to witness the exercise.
The statement read in part, “The commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Tuesday, 25th March 2025. Among other issues, the meeting discussed the petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
“The process of recall is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the commission’s detailed Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, available on our website. All petitions will be treated in strict compliance with the legal framework.
“The petition from Kogi Central Senatorial District was accompanied by six bags of documents said to be signatures collected from over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) in the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene.
“The commission’s immediate observation is that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s) and e-mail 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.
“The address given is ‘Okene, Kogi State’, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners. Only the telephone number of ‘the lead petitioner’ is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners.
“The commission wishes to reiterate that the recall of a legislator is the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency who sign a petition indicating loss of confidence in the legislator representing them.
“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.
“The petitioners and the member whose recall is sought shall be at liberty to nominate agents to observe the verification, while interested observers and the media will also be accredited. At each Polling Unit, signatories to the petition shall be verified using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.”
INEC assured the public that the recall process would proceed in accordance with the law, provided the petitioners fulfill all necessary guidelines.
However, in the absence of complete contact information, the commission is exploring alternative methods to notify the petition representatives.
INEC also urged the public to disregard any rumours or speculations circulating on social media and reiterated its commitment to ensuring that the process is carried out in full compliance with the legal framework.
“Consequently, if the petitioners fully comply with the requirements of Clause 1(f) of the Regulations and Guidelines regarding the submission of their petition, the commission will announce the next steps in line with the extant laws, regulations and guidelines.
“In the absence of a definite contact address, the commission is making efforts to use other means to notify the representatives of the petitioners of the situation.
“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.
