The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed the petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating it failed to meet constitutional requirements.
In a statement on Thursday via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, INEC said, “The petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
This comes just a week after INEC initially accepted the petition, following the submission of contact details by the petitioners. The Commission had even moved to verify if the petition had support from over 50% of Kogi Central’s 474,554 registered voters. However, today’s decision suggests it fell short at that stage, though INEC has not specified the exact issue.
The recall effort has been controversial, with allegations that it was orchestrated by political allies of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. Reports also claim some voters were misled into signing under the guise of an empowerment program.
’The process is currently facing a legal challenge. A Federal High Court in Lokoja previously issued an injunction barring INEC from proceeding due to allegations of fraudulent signatures. The case is set for hearing on May 6, 2025.
