The National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sam Olumekun, issued a statement on Tuesday regarding a recall petition from the Kogi Central Senatorial District.
According to Olumekun, the petition, which calls for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, was submitted along with six bags of documents containing signatures from “over half of the 474,554 registered voters across 902 polling units in 57 wards within the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.”
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However, INEC noted that the petition lacked certain required details. Olumekun explained that before proceeding with verification, the petition must meet all submission requirements as outlined in the commission’s regulations. He pointed out that the petitioners had failed to provide a specific contact address, multiple telephone numbers, and email addresses in the covering letter, as required by Clause 1(f) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines.
“The only contact information provided was ‘Okene, Kogi State,’ which is not a precise location, and only the lead petitioner’s phone number was included, rather than the required contact details of all representatives,” Olumekun stated.
He emphasized that the recall process is solely the decision of registered voters in a constituency who sign a petition expressing a loss of confidence in their representative.
INEC stated that if the petitioners fully comply with submission guidelines, the commission would outline the next steps in accordance with existing laws and procedures.
The recall move against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan follows her recent suspension from the Senate for allegedly violating its rules after she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual assault.
