The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed the petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, stating that it failed to meet the constitutional requirements.
In a statement released on Thursday via its official X handle, INEC clarified that the petition did not satisfy Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates the signatures of more than half of the registered voters in a constituency for a recall process to proceed.
During its regular weekly meeting, INEC reviewed and approved a report on the physical count of the signatures submitted with the petition. The commission explained that for a recall to be valid, at least 237,278 signatures—representing more than half of the 474,554 registered voters in Kogi Central—were required. However, INEC’s verification exercise found that only 208,132 signatures, accounting for 43.86% of the electorate, were submitted—29,146 short of the constitutional threshold.
“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,” the statement read.
In accordance with Clause 2(d) of the 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall, INEC has issued a Public Notice announcing the petition’s failure. A copy of the notice has also been sent to the Presiding Officer of the Senate.
The commission reiterated its commitment to fairness and transparency, explaining that the process followed three key steps: verification of petition submission, notification of the senator, and signature review. INEC has made the full breakdown of the signature review—disaggregated by local government areas—available on its website and social media platforms for public access.
With the petition failing to meet legal requirements, the recall process for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has officially been terminated.
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