Written by SpringNewsNG Media Limited | April 4, 2025

The petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, has failed to meet the necessary constitutional requirements, as it did not secure the required 50% of registered voters’ signatures. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed the outcome on Thursday after completing the verification of the signatures submitted by the petitioners.

According to INEC, the petition did not meet the provisions set out in Section 69(a) of the Nigerian Constitution, which mandates that a recall petition must be supported by signatures from more than half of the registered voters in the affected constituency. The total number of registered voters in Kogi Central is 474,554, which means at least 237,278 signatures were needed for the petition to be valid. However, only 208,132 signatures, representing 43.86% of the registered voters, were validated, falling short by 29,146 signatures.

In a statement, INEC outlined the steps taken to ensure due process, explaining that the signatures were gathered from 902 polling units across 57 registration areas in the five local government areas of Kogi Central. Despite the petitioners’ efforts, the submission failed to reach the constitutional threshold.

“As per Section 69(a) of the Constitution, the petition did not meet the necessary requirement, and no further action will be taken to process the recall,” said Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.

INEC assured the public that due diligence was applied throughout the process. This included notifying Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan in writing, copying the Senate’s presiding officer, and making the notice available on INEC’s website. The electoral body further confirmed that the verification of the signatures was completed in accordance with its regulations and guidelines.

The recall petition had been initiated by a group of Kogi Central residents who accused Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of “gross misconduct, abuse of office, evasion of due process,” and other actions they believed had damaged the reputation of the Senate and democratic institutions. Despite their claims of having gathered sufficient signatures, INEC initially delayed processing the petition due to procedural issues, such as missing contact details from the petitioners.

After the necessary requirements were provided, INEC proceeded with the signature verification, resulting in the petition’s invalidation for not meeting the constitutional criteria.

In its conclusion, INEC reassured Nigerians of its ongoing commitment to fairness and transparency in all electoral matters, emphasizing that the recall process was handled in strict compliance with the law and its regulations.

The results of the petition review, along with a summary broken down by local government areas, are now available on INEC’s website and social media platforms for public access.