The petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has failed to meet the constitutional requirements outlined in Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced this on Thursday via its official X handle, with a statement signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.
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 a detailed breakdown, the commission explained that the petitioners failed to secure the necessary number of signatures or thumbprints, which must exceed one-half of the registered voters in the district.
“For emphasis, a petition for the recall of a Senator must comply with the provision of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which requires the signatures of more than one-half of the registered voters in the constituency.
“The total number of registered voters in the Kogi Central Senatorial District is 474,554. More than one-half of this figure (i.e., 50% +1) is 237,277 +1, making at least 237,278 voters required,” INEC said.
However, the petitioners only gathered 208,132 signatures, falling short by 29,146.
“Across the 902 polling units in 57 registration areas and five local government areas of the Senatorial District, the commission verified 208,132 signatures/thumbprints submitted by the petitioners.
“This represents 43.86% of the registered voters, which falls short of the constitutional requirement by 29,146 signatories.
“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,” INEC declared.
As mandated by law, INEC has issued a Public Notice detailing the outcome of the review. A summary of the verified signatures, broken down by local government area, is available for public viewing on the commission’s website and social media platforms.
The recall attempt follows a political controversy involving Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio. She had accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, a claim dismissed by the Senate Ethics Committee on March 6. The committee subsequently suspended her for six months without pay.
Last week, some constituents submitted the recall petition to INEC, aiming to remove her from office. However, with the failure to meet constitutional requirements, the process has been halted.
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Hopefully they won’t have a rethink. I don’t trust iNEC