The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed a petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central senatorial district.
INEC, in a statement on Thursday, said the petition failed to meet the constitutional requirements for recalling a senator.
The petition, titled “Constituents’ Petition for the Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Grounds of Loss of Confidence,” was submitted at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday. It was received by the Commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.
The petitioners claimed that over 250,000 registered voters from the district signed the recall request. However, INEC’s verification process confirmed only 208,132 valid signatures, falling short of the required threshold by 29,146.
According to the Nigerian Constitution, a senator can only be recalled if more than half of the registered voters in the constituency sign the petition. With 474,554 registered voters in Kogi Central, at least 237,278 valid signatures were needed for the recall process to proceed.
Following its weekly meeting on Thursday, INEC announced that since the petition did not meet the constitutional requirement, no further action would be taken.
“In line with Clause 2(d) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, the Commission has issued a Public Notice to that effect, which has also been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate,” the statement read.
INEC also assured that the process was handled transparently and in accordance with legal provisions, emphasizing that details of the verification exercise, including a breakdown by local government areas, have been published on its website and social media platforms.
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