The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has indicated that the request to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, does not adhere to the legal requirements.
In a statement, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, noted that the commission reviewed the recall petition concerning the senator.
“Six bags of documents accompanied the petition from Kogi Central Senatorial District, 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 statement said.
He clarified that the recall process is established in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the Commission’s comprehensive Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, which are also accessible on its website. He stressed that all petitions would be handled strictly under the legal framework.
The Commission reiterated that registered voters within a constituency can recall a legislator. They must sign a petition expressing a loss of confidence in their representative.
