By Divine Sam
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the petition seeking to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.
In a statement on Thursday, INEC clarified that the petition failed to meet the constitutional requirements necessary for recalling a senator.
Earlier, constituents had submitted a formal petition at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja, with the Commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, receiving the document. The petition, titled “Constituents’ Petition for the Recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Grounds of Loss of Confidence,” claimed to have gathered over 250,000 signatures from the district’s approximately 480,000 registered voters.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is currently serving a suspension over alleged violations of Senate rules. However, INEC’s statement made it clear that the recall effort did not fulfill the provisions of Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), thereby rendering it invalid.