The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held its regular weekly meeting today, Tuesday, 25th March 2025, to discuss various matters, including the petition seeking to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduagha, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The Commission reaffirms that the recall process is governed by the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, which are publicly available. All petitions must adhere strictly to the legal and procedural requirements.
This was contained in a statement signed on Tuesday, 25th March 2025, by Sam Olumekun National Commissioner & Chairman
Information and Voter Education Committee
The statement reads “Upon review, the petition submitted from Kogi Central Senatorial District was accompanied by six bags of documents purportedly containing signatures from more than half of the 474,554 registered voters across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) within the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.
However, a preliminary assessment revealed that the petition did not comply with Clause 1(f) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall. Specifically, the petitioners failed to provide a verifiable contact address, telephone numbers, and email addresses of all their representatives. The only contact detail provided was a vague address, “Okene, Kogi State,” and a single phone number of the “lead petitioner,” which does not meet the standard requirements for communication and verification.
INEC reiterates that the recall of an elected legislator is an exclusive right of registered voters within the concerned constituency. Once a petition satisfies the necessary conditions, the Commission will initiate a transparent verification process using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). The process will be conducted in the presence of accredited agents from both the petitioners and the legislator, as well as observers and media representatives.
Given the identified deficiencies, the petition cannot proceed to the verification stage at this time. INEC, however, remains committed to due process and is actively exploring alternative means to notify the petitioners’ representatives of the situation. Should the petitioners rectify the identified gaps and comply fully with the requirements, the Commission will announce further steps in line with the law.
The public is advised to disregard any misleading narratives circulating on social media. INEC remains steadfast in upholding the integrity of the recall process as enshrined in the legal framework.
