Residents of Kogi Central Senatorial District have vowed to push forward with efforts to recall their senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, from the National Assembly. In a statement issued Thursday, spokesperson Salihu Habib reaffirmed their commitment to the process, stating there was no retreat on their mission.
The petitioners thanked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allegedly validating 208,132 signatures (43.86%) in support of the recall, though INEC has not officially confirmed this. The renewed push comes after INEC declared the petition defective, stating it failed to meet the constitutional threshold.
INEC, in its statement, noted that the petition submitted on March 24, 2025, did not fulfill the requirements of Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution, and therefore, no further action would be taken.
Despite this setback, the petitioners insist they mobilized more than the required 50% plus one of registered voters and submitted a fully documented petition. They claim INEC’s validation of 43.86% confirms that the senator has lost the support of her constituents.
“INEC canceled at least 35,000 signatures from the administrative count,” the petitioners alleged. “We will engage INEC within constitutional provisions to ensure transparency in handling our petition. We trust the commission to uphold due process.”
They expressed confidence that their recall effort is justified, criticizing Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan for “misconduct and divisiveness.” They also accused her of making incendiary remarks during a recent rally in defiance of police and state
