INEC: Petition for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Recall Failed Constitutional Requirements
INEC: Petition for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s Recall Failed Constitutional Requirements
•Says no further action will be taken, writes Akpabio
•God has shamed anti-democratic forces after me, declares Kogi senator, hails electoral body
•Inaugurates free maternity/child care centre in Okenne, empowers more constituents
•Proponents of exercise thank commission for recognising 208,132 signatures
Adedayo Akinwale and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Despite the frenzy that followed the proposed recall of the senator for Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, over the last few days, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, declared that the petition for the exercise did not meet key constitutional requirements.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a statement, said the commission arrived at the conclusion after it considered and approved the report of its physical count of the signatures/thumbprints forwarded with the petition in line with Clause 2(b) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall, 2024, at its meeting, yesterday.
INEC added that no further action will be taken on the recall of the senator.
Reacting to the news, Akpoti-Uduaghan said God had put to shame anti-democratic forces plotting her recall from the senate.
The senator, who had commenced the construction of a free maternity centre and childcare centre for her constituents, also empowered them by providing tools and training to those who had earlier been trained in welding and carpentry.
But those who had pushed for her recall thanked INEC for, at least, validating 208,132 (43.86 per cent) signatures in the petition submitted for Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall.
INEC had assured Nigerians that it would handle the matter with fairness in line with the provisions of the law and the commission’s regulations and guidelines.
Olumekun said, “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.”
Olumekun emphasised that a petition for the recall of a senator must comply with the provisions of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which requires the signatures of more than half of the registered voters in the constituency.
According to him, “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 per cent of the registered voters, which falls short of the constitutional requirement by 29,146 signatories.
“Consequently, the petition has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the constitution. Therefore, no further action shall be taken on the recall of the senator.”
Olumekun stressed that in line with the provisions of Clause 2(d) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, the commission had issued a public notice to that effect, which was also copied to the presiding officer of the senate.
He stated that the public notice, along with a summary of the review of the signatures/thumbprints of the petitioners, which were disaggregated by local government areas, were available on its website and social media platforms for public information.
INEC also wrote to the senate president, Godswill Akpabio, to officially inform him that it had rejected a petition seeking to recall Akpoti-Uduaghan.
INEC, in the letter, explained that the petition failed to meet the constitutional requirements outlined in Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution.
It said the petition, which was submitted on March 24, 2025, did not satisfy the legal threshold necessary for initiating a recall process.
“The petition has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended),” it said.
INEC added that the petition was signed by 208,132 out of the 474,554 registered voters in Kogi Central, representing 43.86 per cent of the constituency’s electorate.
“This falls short of the constitutional requirement, which mandates that at least 50% + 1 of registered voters in the constituency must support a recall process,” it said, adding, “No further action shall be taken on the petition.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan: God Has Put to Shame Anti-democratic Forces Plotting My Recall
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan reacted to the outcome of her recall process, saying God has put to shame anti-democratic forces behind the move.
Commending the electoral body for upholding justice, Akpoti-Uduaghan, in a statement, also hailed the commission for rejecting a fake process by sponsored groups and individuals to recall her from the senate.
She stated, “God has put to shame anti-democratic forces plotting my recall from the senate, including one of the most wanted persons by the EFCC, former governor Yahaya Bello.
“The voice of the people is the voice of God. Nobody, be it a former Governor Yahaya Bello or Senate President Godswill Akpabio and their associates can toy with the mandate freely given by the resolute people of Kogi Central without being put to shame.
“All along, I did not exercise any fear because I have a God that can never fail and I have people on my side. The decision to reject the recall process is a justice against injustice. INEC has proven to be truly independent and the history will never forget this justice.
“I commend the umpire for shaming the shameless agents of darkness and setting the record straight according to the laws of our land.
“To God be the glory, we have defeated them again. This development is another record-breaking against those who prefer coming from the back yard, the manipulators, election riggers, the violent merchants and their allies in Kogi Central and beyond.
“Please, bear it in mind that your days are numbered in politics because the new era has come when people will no longer reckon or identify with evil politicians whose trade mark is not more than violence, rigging and corruption.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan, yesterday, commenced the construction of a free maternity centre and child care centre for her constituents.
The centre, according to a statement by her media aide, Arogbonlo Israel, was scheduled for completion in four months.
It is expected to provide free, quality and efficient maternity services to women in the senatorial district.
The development came a few days after a pregnant woman reportedly died in Lagos because her husband could not afford N500,000 to procure health care services for her at a private hospital.
The senator, according to the statement, expressed her excitement about the project, stating that she understood the challenges of childbirth, having given birth to four children herself.
In addition to the maternity centre, the Kogi lawmaker also empowered her constituents by providing tools to those who had earlier been trained in welding and carpentry.
The initiative, the statement explained, aimed to enable them to start their own workshops and become financially independent.
Recall: Kogi Central Constituents Thank INEC for Recognising 208,132 Signatures
Constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District thanked INEC for validating 208,132 (43.86 per cent) signatures in the petition submitted for the recall of the suspended lawmaker representing the district in the National Assembly, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The constituents, who were registered voters of Kogi Central, stated that, though they had mobilised more than the 50 per cent plus one threshold of registered voters and submitted their petition with full documentation, the validation of 43.86 per cent by the commission still confirmed that Kogi Central constituents had abandoned the embattled senator.
“Apparently, INEC cancelled not less than 35,000 signatures at the administrative stage,” the constituents said, while reacting to a statement on the recall process issued by the electoral umpire.
In a statement by one Salihu Habib, on behalf of the petitioners, the constituents insisted that there was no going back on their resolve to bring the Kogi Senator back home, even though INEC had said no further action shall be taken on the recall of the senator.
“We will liaise with INEC within the full ambits of the constitution and regulations to demand for transparency in the handling of our petition. We have utmost confidence in the commission not to subject the recall process to ambiguity or administrative opacity,” the constituents said.
They expressed their gratitude to INEC for proving naysayers, who queried the authenticity of their figures, wrong.
They said, “We thank INEC for making it clear that the bulk of the people of Kogi Central are behind us and that we did not import a crowd like a desperate, embattled lawmaker.”
THISDAY wishes to point out that INEC never recognised the signatures of 208,132 members, who purportedly signed the recall petition. It is, therefore, a false claim on the part of Salihu Habib to state that INEC had recognised the signatures.
INEC’s statement said the petition failed a key constitutional requirement of more than one-half of registered voters (i.e. 50%+1 ) signing the recall petition. How does this translate to recognising the 208,132 signatures that purportedly signed the recall petition? The electoral commission had not even carried out verification of the signatures yet.
•Says no further action will be taken, writes Akpabio •God has shamed anti-democratic forces after me, declares Kogi senator, hails electoral body •Inaugurates free maternity/child care centre in Okenne, empowers
Hot Source
