The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, stating that it failed to meet the constitutional requirements outlined in Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
The petitioners submitted 208,132 signatures, which is below the required threshold of 50% plus one of the registered voters in the constituency—amounting to at least 237,278 signatures out of 474,554 registered voters. Consequently, the petition did not satisfy the necessary criteria to initiate a recall process.
In response to INEC’s decision, some constituents expressed their determination to continue the recall effort, appreciating the commission’s validation of the signatures collected thus far and indicating their intent to address the shortcomings in their petition.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, on her part, criticized INEC for not outrightly rejecting the petition, arguing that its handling of the matter compromises the commission’s neutrality.
This development follows a series of legal proceedings, including a Federal High Court order restraining INEC from receiving or acting upon any recall petition against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan pending further deliberations
