The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, stating that it failed to meet constitutional requirements.
In a statement released on Thursday, INEC said the petition did not satisfy Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates that a recall petition must be signed by more than half of the registered voters in the senator’s constituency.
“The total number of registered voters in Kogi Central Senatorial District is 474,554. More than one-half of this figure (237,278 voters) is required. However, the petitioners submitted only 208,132 signatures/thumbprints,” INEC’s National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, explained.
As a result, the commission stated that “no further action shall be taken on the recall of the senator.”
The recall attempt followed Senator Natasha’s suspension from the Senate for breaching its rules. Some of her constituents initiated the petition, arguing that her absence would leave them unrepresented.
This rejection comes after INEC initially dismissed the petition due to missing contact details, which were later provided. However, the commission maintained that the petition still fell short of constitutional requirements.
Senator Natasha has been at the center of political controversy, having accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, a claim he denied. Despite her suspension, she held a homecoming rally in defiance of a ban on public gatherings by the Kogi State Government, where she declared: “Nobody and nothing can stop me from coming home.”
