INEC Confirms Receipt of Details from Petitioners Seeking Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that it has now received the contact addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of representatives of the petitioners seeking to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.
This development follows an earlier announcement by INEC on Tuesday, in which the electoral body acknowledged receiving the petition for the senator’s recall but initially declared that the submission failed to meet the required conditions for processing.
Initial Issues with the Petition Submission
When the recall petition was first submitted, INEC pointed out that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact information including addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses in the cover letter accompanying the petition. This omission, according to INEC, was a violation of Clause 1(f) of its Regulations and Guidelines.
Due to this procedural deficiency, the Commission stated that it was unable to properly communicate with the petitioners, which temporarily stalled the recall process.
Update on the Recall Petition
However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed that the petitioners have now provided the missing details in a formal letter addressed to the Chairman of INEC, dated Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
As a result of this compliance with procedural requirements, INEC has officially notified Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan about the receipt of the recall petition. This was done in accordance with Clause 2(a) of INEC’s 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall.
Official Notification and Next Steps
Olumekun further stated that a formal notification letter has been:
1. Delivered to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan at her official address
2. Copied to the Senate’s Presiding Officer
3. Published on the Commission’s website for public record
With these preliminary steps completed, INEC’s next course of action will be to scrutinize the list of signatories attached to the recall petition. This process is necessary to verify whether the petition has been signed by more than half (over 50%) of the registered voters in Kogi Central Senatorial District, as required by law.
This verification stage will determine whether the recall process proceeds to the next phase, which could include public hearings and a potential referendum if the required percentage of voter signatures is confirmed to be valid.
