By Mary Onyia
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed the petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Udughan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, due to non-compliance with legal requirements.
On Tuesday, 25th March, 2025, Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, confirmed that the petition did not meet the conditions outlined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for recall.
The petition, which claimed to have gathered signatures from more than half of the 474,554 registered voters across five local government areas of Kogi Central, was submitted with six bags of documents. However, INEC flagged the submission for failing to include necessary contact information for the petitioners, such as a proper address, phone numbers, and email addresses, as required by Clause 1(f) of INEC’s regulations. The covering letter provided only a vague address of “Okene, Kogi State,” and the contact details were incomplete, with only the lead petitioner’s phone number listed.
Olumekun emphasized that the recall of a legislator is a constitutional right of registered voters in a constituency, but all petition procedures must strictly adhere to legal standards. If the petitioners address the deficiencies in their submission, INEC will proceed with the next steps, including verifying the signatures in an open process, with both the petitioners and the senator’s representatives allowed to observe the verification.
He urged Nigerians to disregard speculations circulating on social media and reiterated that INEC would adhere strictly to the legal framework in processing the recall petition.