INEC Rejects Petition to Recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Cites Inadequate Signatures

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday rejected the petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

In a statement signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, the Commission said the petition failed to meet the constitutional threshold required for the recall of a senator.

InfoStride News recalls that the petition, titled “Constituents’ Petition for the Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Grounds of Loss of Confidence,” was submitted on Monday at INEC headquarters in Abuja and received by the Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.

According to the petitioners, over 250,000 constituents endorsed the recall out of an estimated 480,000 registered voters in the senatorial district.

However, following a verification exercise, INEC confirmed that only 208,132 signatures and thumbprints were valid—falling short of the constitutional requirement by 29,146.

“For emphasis, a petition for the recall of a senator must comply with the provision of Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which requires the signatures of more than one-half of the registered voters in the constituency,” the Commission stated.

It noted that Kogi Central has 474,554 registered voters, meaning the threshold for a valid recall petition is 237,278.

The 208,132 valid signatures account for only 43.86% of registered voters, significantly below the required mark.

“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,” the statement added.

INEC explained that the petition had undergone due process, including notification to the senator involved, communication with the Senate leadership, and publication of the notice on its website.

In accordance with Clause 2(d) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, the Commission has issued a public notice detailing the outcome of the verification, disaggregated by Local Government Areas, and made it available on its website and social media platforms.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is currently serving a suspension over alleged violation of Senate rules.