The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the failure of the recall petition against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents the Kogi Central Senatorial District, citing non-compliance with constitutional requirements. This development was disclosed on Thursday through a statement shared on INEC’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle. The statement was signed by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee.
According to INEC, the petitioners were unable to meet the conditions stipulated in Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Specifically, the law mandates that a recall petition must be supported by signatures or thumbprints representing more than half of the registered voters in the affected constituency. For Kogi Central Senatorial District, where there are 474,554 registered voters, this translates to a minimum requirement of 237,278 valid signatures.
However, after a detailed verification process across the 902 polling units in 57 registration areas and five local government areas within the district, INEC confirmed that only 208,132 signatures were submitted. This figure represents just 43.86% of registered voters in the district and falls short of the required threshold by 29,146 signatures. Consequently, INEC declared that the petition had failed to meet constitutional standards and stated that no further action would be taken regarding the recall process.
INEC emphasized its commitment to transparency by issuing a public notice summarizing its findings. The commission also made available a breakdown of the signatures and thumbprints by local government areas on its official website and social media platforms for public scrutiny.
The recall attempt comes amid heightened political tensions involving Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. In recent weeks, she has been embroiled in controversy following her allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Although she formally petitioned the Senate over the matter, her claims were dismissed by the Senate Ethics Committee on March 6. The committee subsequently suspended her for six months without pay.
The failed recall petition appears to be an extension of these political disputes. Akpoti-Uduaghan has accused Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and his allies of orchestrating efforts to undermine her political career. Despite these challenges, she continues to enjoy substantial support from segments of her constituency, as evidenced by recent public displays of solidarity during her visits to Kogi State.
This latest development underscores the rigorous legal framework governing recall processes in Nigeria while highlighting the political undercurrents shaping events in Kogi Central Senatorial District.
