The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday wrote officially to the embattled senator representing Kogi Central, Mrs Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan notifying her of the petition seeking her recall as the representative of the senatorial zone.
INEC’s national commissioner and chairman of the information and voter education committee, Mr Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja.
He also confirmed that the petitioners had provided the required contact details, including their address, telephone numbers, and email addresses.
The statement said the commission would proceed to the next stage by verifying the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to verify that the petition is endorsed by more than half of the registered voters in the constituency.
The statement reads: “Further to the statement issued yesterday, Tuesday 25th March 2025, the Commission hereby confirms that the contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the chairman of the commission dated today Wednesday 26th March 2025.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the Senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address. The same letter has been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website.
“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the Constituency. This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission.
“We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent.”
Recall that the petition was received and stamped INEC’s secretary, Ms Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on Monday at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The recall petition entitled ‘Constituents’ Petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on grounds of loss of confidence’ followed a series of contentious events involving Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was suspended from the Senate on March 6 for six months after a dispute with the senate president, Mr Akpabio over alleged breach of senate rules.
The constituents, who claim to have met the constitutional requirements for the recall process, stated that over 200,000 registered voters, more than half of the district’s electorate, signed the petition.
The petitioners made series of allegations, including gross misconduct, abuse of office and a pattern of deceitful behaviour.
