Petitioners request for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan recall fails to meet requirement, says electoral commission
The petition submitted for the recall of the suspended senator representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has failed to meet constitutional requirements.
Penpushing reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) made this clear in a statement issued and signed the Secretary to the commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, explaining that the petition failed to meet Section 69(a) of the Nigerian constitution.
‘The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hereby notifies the public that the petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, which was submitted to the Commission on Monday 24h March 2025 by representatives of the petitioners who are registered voters in the constituency, has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended)’, the statements reads.
Penpushing further reports that the electoral body emphasised that the constitutional requirement for a recall was to get a signed petition by at least 50 per cent plus one person registered to vote in the constituency.
The statement added that contrary to this, the petition submitted was signed by 43.86 per cent of the constituents, stating that only 208,132 of the 474,554 registered voters in the constituency signed the petition.
“Consequently, no further action shall be taken on the petition. This Public Notice is issued pursuant to the provision of Clause 2(d) of the Regulations and Guidelines for the Recall of a Member of the National Assembly, House of Assembly of a State or Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (2024)’, the commission said
Penpushing also reports in a related statement the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) spokesperson, Sam Olumekun, explained that the signatories’ requirement fell short by 29,146 voters from the constituency.
The agency spokesperson added that the leadership of the Senate has also been copied in the public notice of the outcome, stressing that it is equally available on the website of the electoral commission
“The public notice, along with a summary of the review of the signatures/thumbprints of the petitioners, which are disaggregated by Local Government Areas, are available on our website and social media platforms for public information’, the statement said.
Penpushing reports that it is recalled that a group of voters, under the aegis of Concerned Kogi Youth and Women, submitted the petition for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall as a senator, stating that they had lost confidence in her representation at the National Assembly and, therefore, asked the commission to commence the process of recalling her.
The letter was addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mahmood Yakubu, while it is recalled that the commission had last week, wrote the presiding officers of the Senate and Akpoti-Uduaghan, informing them of the process.
Penpushing further reports that it is equally recalled that many Nigerians had questioned the petition after the promoters claimed that over half of the 400,000 plus voters in the constituency signed the petition.
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