Reactions As INEC rejects Natasha Recall Petition
…Why the recall bid failed – INEC
…No further action will be taken’ — INEC
…’One battle down, two more to go’ – Senator Natasha
…Petitioners Vow to Proceed With Recall, Fine-Tune Process
Reactions have trailed the Thursday’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dismissal of the petition seeking to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The INEC had on Thursday threw away the petition for failure to meet constitutional requirements.
The commission revealed that following a thorough review of the signatures and thumbprints submitted by petitioners, only 208,132 signatories were verified falling short of the required 237,278 by 29,146.
According to INEC, the total number of registered voters in Kogi Central is 474,554, saying at least 237,278 valid signatures were needed.
A group of registered voters from the Kogi Central Senatorial District stormed the INEC headquarters in Abuja on March 24 seeking the recall of Natasha .
The constituents, in a petition dated March 21 said they have lost confidence in her ability to represent them.
The group also claimed that about 250,000 voters signed the petition for the Kogi central senator’s recall.
But INEC in a statement by Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, Thursday, said the
The Commission could only ascertain 208,132 signatures/thumbprints from the submission made by the petitioners.
This, according to Olumekun, translates to 43.86 per cent of the registered voters which he said fell short of the constitutional requirement by 29,146 signatories.
The statement read: “The Commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Thursday 3rd April 2025. Among other issues, the meeting considered and approved the report of its physical count of the signatures/thumbprints forwarded with the petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, in line with Clause 2(b) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
“The Commission had assured Nigerians that it would handle the matter with fairness to the parties involved and in line with the provisions of the law and our Regulations and Guidelines. First, we ensured that the petitioners complied with the requirements for the submission of the petition. Secondly, we notified the member sought to be recalled in writing, copied the presiding officer of the Senate and simultaneously published the notice on our website.
“Thirdly, we informed Nigerians that the next step would be to carefully ascertain the number of signatures/thumbprints to ensure that the petition complies with the requirement of the law. This exercise has now been completed.
“For emphasis, a petition for the recall of a Senator must comply with the provision of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which requires the signatures of more than one-half of the registered voters in the constituency. The total number of registered voters in the Kogi Central Senatorial District is 474,554. More than one-half of this figure (i.e. 50%+1) is 237,277+1 which is at least 237,278 voters.
“Across the 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas and five Local Government Areas that make up the Senatorial District, the Commission ascertained 208,132 signatures/thumbprints from the submission made by the petitioners. This translates to 43.86% of the registered voters which falls short of the constitutional requirement by 29,146 signatories.”
Olumekun noted that the petition has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution, adding that no further action shall be taken on the recall of the Senator.
“In line with the provision of Clause 2(d) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, the Commission has issued a Public Notice to that effect which is also copied to the presiding officer of the Senate,” he said.
“The Public Notice, along with a summary of the review of the signatures/thumbprints of the petitioners, which are disaggregated by Local Government Areas, are available on our website and social media platforms for public information.”
‘No further action will be taken’ — INEC
The commission said it will take no further action on the recall process.
“NO FURTHER ACTION shall be taken on the petition,” it said.
“This Public Notice is issued pursuant to the provision of Clause 2(d) of the Regulations and Guidelines for the Recall of a Member of the National Assembly, House of Assembly of a State or Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (2024).”
BACKGROUND
On March 24, some members of Kogi central constituency submitted a petition to INEC requesting the recall of Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing the district.
Charity Omole, a representative of the constituents, said they submitted the petition to recall the senator because the constituency cannot afford not to have a representative in the senate following her suspension.
“We have come to recall her so that we can have a representative in the senate. We are here to tell lNEC to please follow the constitutional process for a recall so that a recall process can begin,” Omole said.
“We submitted the petition and it has been received. All other documents have been received.
“We are the ones that voted her and we don’t want her anymore because we cannot afford not to have a representative. Nobody is bankrolling us. Nobody is having any personal issue with her. It is just what it is. The game is the game.”
The representative said there are 488,000 registered voters in Kogi central, out of which more than 250,000 have signed the recall petition.
INEC, however, said the petitioners did not provide their contact details.
On March 26, INEC said it had notified Akpoti-Uduaghan about the petition by constituents seeking her recall from the national assembly.
INEC said it had also received the contact details of the petitioners.
Speaking at her homecoming rally on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused the electoral body of bias in her recall.
“What I see INEC doing is aiding and guiding petitioners on how to perfect their illicit acts,” she said.
“The first time the petition was submitted, they didn’t have address and phone numbers, so INEC went out to guide them on how to submit information that will perfect their petition.
“And what did they do? The petitioners, who were from the other party, the APC, submitted a letterhead. What was the name of it? Kogi Central Political Frontier. And the address there was number 4, Oboroke.”
‘One battle down, two more to go’ – Senator Natasha reacts
Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan has expressed delight after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, rejected the petition for her recall.
Reacting, Natasha dedicated the victory to Nigerians.
On her official Facebook page, the lawmaker wrote, “On God it’s victory for the people. One battle down, two more to go.
“Deep gratitude to my beloved husband, awesome support team, magnificent people of Kogi Central and great people of Nigeria at large.
“INEC Nigeria, you did well. Senator Natasha H Akpoti Uduaghan Proudly Kogi Central.”
Kogi Central constituents commend INEC for recognizing 208,132 signatures
…Vow to Proceed With Recall, Fine-Tune Process
Constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District have expressed gratitude to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for validating 208,132 (43.86%) signatures in their petition to recall the suspended lawmaker representing the district, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Despite mobilizing more than the required 50% plus one threshold of registered voters, the constituents acknowledged that INEC’s validation of 43.86% still confirmed that the people of Kogi Central had turned their backs on the embattled senator.
“Apparently, INEC canceled not less than 35,000 signatures at the administrative stage,” the constituents said in response to INEC’s statement on the recall process.
In a statement signed by Salihu Habib on behalf of the petitioners, the constituents reaffirmed their commitment to recalling Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and vowed to continue engaging INEC within the framework of the Constitution and electoral regulations.
“We will liaise with INEC to demand transparency in handling our petition. We have full confidence in the Commission’s ability to ensure the recall process is not subjected to ambiguity or administrative opacity,” the statement read.
The petitioners also thanked INEC for disproving skeptics who questioned the authenticity of their petition.
“We appreciate INEC for confirming that the majority of Kogi Central is with us and that we did not stage a fake crowd like a desperate, embattled lawmaker,” they added.
Insisting that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall was “non-negotiable,” they cited alleged misconduct and divisive politics as reasons for their action.
“We are resolute in restoring dignified and collaborative representation to Kogi Central. We will no longer tolerate a senator who says and does anything just to stay politically relevant,” they said.
They also criticized a recent rally held by the senator, accusing her of making inflammatory statements that could destabilize the country.
“The entire nation watched as she made reckless comments, attempting to create tension between the North and the South. How can any responsible leader claim that other parts of the country are sabotaging Kogi State and the North simply because LNG plants are located elsewhere?”
The petitioners vowed to explore all lawful and constitutional means to ensure their voices were heard and respected.
“After God, power belongs to the people,” they declared.
