The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed the petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, citing a lack of credibility.
INEC’s National Commissioner for Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, stated that after reviewing the signatures submitted, the petition failed to meet the required standards.
According to Olumekun, out of the 474,544 voters who purportedly signed the petition, no addresses or phone contacts were provided.
“The Commission’s immediate observation is that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s), or e-mail address(es) in the covering letter forwarding the petition, as required by Clause 1(f) of our Regulations and Guidelines,” he said.
He further noted that the address provided simply stated “Okene, Kogi State,” which is not a specific location for correspondence. Additionally, only the telephone number of the “lead petitioner” was included, rather than the contacts of all representatives.
INEC’s decision effectively nullifies the recall process, citing procedural deficiencies in the petition submission.
