The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected a petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District. The petition, submitted last month, failed to meet the necessary legal requirements, with only 43.86% of the signatories verified.¹
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!According to INEC, the petition required signatures from more than half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district. However, the commission ascertained only 208,132 signatures, falling short of the constitutional requirement by 29,146 signatories.
The recall petition stems from ongoing controversies surrounding Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for alleged “gross misconduct” following a dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In a statement, INEC explained that it had verified the signatures and found them to be insufficient. The commission has issued a public notice confirming the rejection of the petition, which is available on its website and social media platforms.
This development brings an end to the recall process, which had been initiated by constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District. The petition had been accompanied by six bags of documents containing signatures from across the district.