INEC rejects petition to recall Natasha Akpoti over constitutional lapses

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed a petition seeking to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, citing failure to meet constitutional requirements.

In a statement on Thursday, INEC referenced Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which outlines the necessary conditions for the recall of a lawmaker. According to the commission, the petitioners did not fulfil these legal criteria.

The petition, submitted on March 24 by some members of the Kogi Central constituency, aimed to remove Akpoti-Uduaghan from office following her suspension. Charity Omole, a representative of the petitioners, claimed that the constituency could not afford to remain unrepresented in the Senate and urged INEC to commence the recall process.

“We have come to recall her so that we can have a representative in the Senate,” Omole stated. “We are the ones who voted for her, and we don’t want her anymore. Nobody is bankrolling us; this is simply about representation.”

Omole further claimed that over 250,000 out of 488,000 registered voters in Kogi Central had signed the recall petition. However, INEC later pointed out that the petitioners had failed to provide their contact details, a key requirement for the process.

Despite the initial setback, INEC confirmed on March 26 that it had received the petitioners’ contact information and formally notified Akpoti-Uduaghan of the recall attempt.

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Responding to the development at a homecoming rally on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused INEC of bias, alleging that the electoral body was assisting the petitioners in refining their submission.

“What I see INEC doing is aiding and guiding petitioners on how to perfect their illicit acts,” she said. “Initially, they didn’t provide an address or phone numbers, but INEC helped them correct that.”

She further claimed that the petitioners, allegedly affiliated with the All Progressives Congress (APC), had submitted their request on a letterhead bearing the name Kogi Central Political Frontier, listing an address in Oboroke.