ABUJA, Nigeria – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised concerns regarding the recall petition filed against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, citing the absence of contact information for the petitioners’ representatives.
The petition, which was submitted on Monday, March 24, 2025, includes six bags of documents containing signatures from 474,554 registered voters in the district.
However, INEC has noted that the petition’s covering letter did not provide sufficient contact details for the petitioners’ representatives.
Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee at INEC, explained that the petition’s covering letter only listed a general address of “Okene, Kogi State,” which is not specific enough to identify a location for contacting the petitioners.
He also noted that only the telephone number of the “lead petitioner” was provided, while no contact details were included for the other representatives.
“The Commission’s immediate observation is that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s), and e-mail address(es) in the covering letter forwarding the petition,” Olumekun said in a statement.
“Only the telephone number of ‘the lead petitioner’ is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners.”
On Monday, March 24, 2025, Charity Omole, representing the Kogi Central constituency, submitted the petition, arguing that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall was necessary to ensure that the district remains duly represented in the Senate, stressing that a legislative vacuum could not be afforded.
This move follows Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Senate on March 6 for “gross misconduct” after a dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, which came shortly after she accused Akpabio of sexual harassment.
Olumekun explained that the recall process follows the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act of 2022, and the regulations and guidelines for recall in 2024.
He further clarified that once the petition meets the submission requirements, INEC will begin verifying the signatures in each polling unit using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The petitioners, as well as Akpoti-Uduaghan, will have the opportunity to nominate agents to observe the verification process, with accredited observers and media also welcome.
“If the petitioners fully comply with the requirements of Clause 1(f) of the Regulations and Guidelines regarding the submission of their petition, the Commission will announce the next steps in line with the extant laws, regulations, and guidelines,” Olumekun added.
