INEC Rejects Natasha Akpoti – Uduaghan’s Recall Petition, Sparks Political Reactions

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially rejected the recall petition against embattled Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In an official statement released on Thursday, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, declared that the petition failed to meet constitutional requirements after thorough verification of signatures and thumbprints.
According to the electoral body, Section 69(a) of the Constitution requires that a valid recall petition must be supported by signatures from more than half of registered voters in the constituency. For Kogi Central, with 474,554 registered voters, at least 237,278 signatures were needed.
“The Commission ascertained 208,132 signatures/thumbprints from the submission made by the petitioners. This translates to 43.86% of the registered voters, which falls short of the constitutional requirement by 29,146 signatories,” INEC stated.
Information has it that following this determination, INEC has issued a public notice informing all parties involved, including the presiding officer of the Senate, that “no further action shall be taken on the recall of the Senator.”
This development has triggered diverse reactions across political divides. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) applauded INEC’s decision, with the party’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, commending the electoral body for “having the courage to say no in the face of forces that were interested in this case.”
Former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili also celebrated the outcome on social media, describing Akpoti-Uduaghan as “courageous and irrepressible” while criticizing what she termed “orchestrated fraudulent recall” attempts against the senator.
However, the petitioners remain undeterred. Their leader, Salihu Habib, in a statement , insisted they would continue pursuing all constitutional means to recall the senator. “Apparently, INEC cancelled not less than 35,000 signatures at the administrative stage,” Habib claimed, adding that the 43.86% validation by INEC still confirmed that Kogi Central constituents had largely abandoned the senator.
“We will liaise with INEC within the full ambits of the Constitution and regulations to demand transparency in the handling of our petition,” the statement read.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently serving a six-month suspension from the Senate, celebrated INEC’s decision, describing it as “justice against injustice.” In her statement, she targeted former Governor Yahaya Bello and other “undemocratic elements” whom she accused of orchestrating the recall attempt.
“God has put to shame anti-democratic forces plotting my recall from the Senate, including one of the most wanted persons by the EFCC, former governor Yahaya Bello,” she stated.
The senator also expressed disappointment with current Kogi Governor Usman Ododo, alleging that he aligned with Bello to push for her recall after initially declining Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s request to do so.
Meanwhile, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyer, Victor Giwa, expressed optimism that aborting the recall process might influence the Senate leadership to reconsider her six-month suspension.
Amnesty International has also weighed in on the situation, calling for an end to what it described as intimidation against the senator. The organization urged the National Assembly to address Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, which it claimed were being “bizarrely trivialized, unaddressed and ignored.”