The petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) has failed to meet the necessary constitutional requirements.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced this decision on Thursday via its official X handle, stating that the petition did not comply with Section 69(a) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).
The announcement was signed by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee. According to the electoral body, the petitioners did not gather enough valid signatures from registered voters in Kogi Central.
“The petition for the recall of the Senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended),” INEC stated.
For a recall petition to be valid, more than half of the registered voters in the senatorial district must sign it. Kogi Central has a total of 474,554 registered voters, which means at least 237,278 valid signatures were required. However, only 208,132 signatures were submitted, falling short by 29,146 signatures.
Breakdown of the Figures
INEC provided a detailed analysis of the recall petition, revealing the following:
- The district consists of 902 polling units across 57 registration areas in five local government areas.
- The number of signatures/thumbprints submitted was 208,132, representing 43.86% of the total registered voters.
- The petition fell short of the required threshold 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,” INEC declared.
Public Notice and Next Steps
By legal requirements, INEC has issued a Public Notice detailing the outcome of the petition review. The commission also released a summary of the signatures/thumbprints, categorized by local government areas, for public viewing. These documents can be accessed on INEC’s official website and social media platforms.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has yet to make a formal statement regarding the failed recall petition.
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