INEC Rejects Recall Petition Against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
The bid to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, has hit a dead end. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that the petition fell short of the constitutional requirements outlined in Section 69(a) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.
Why the Petition Failed
On Thursday, INEC released an official statement via its X (formerly Twitter) handle, confirming that the petition did not meet the required number of signatures. According to Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, the law mandates that over half of the district’s registered voters must support the recall for it to proceed.
To put this into numbers, Kogi Central has a total of 474,554 registered voters. That means at least 237,278 valid signatures were necessary for the recall to move forward. However, the petitioners only managed to collect 208,132 signatures, falling short by 29,146 votes—a clear failure to meet the legal benchmark.
INEC conducted a detailed verification across the 902 polling units, 57 registration areas, and five Local Government Areas within the senatorial district. Their findings revealed that just 43.86% of registered voters supported the recall, significantly below the required threshold.
“Since the petition has not met the constitutional requirement,” INEC stated, “no further action shall be taken on the recall of the senator.” The commission also issued a Public Notice detailing the outcome, which is now available on its official website and social media platforms.
The failed recall attempt comes amid heightened political drama surrounding Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. Recently, she made headlines after accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment—an allegation that was swiftly dismissed by the Senate Ethics Committee, leading to her six-month suspension without pay on March 6.
Following these events, some of her constituents took action, submitting the recall petition in an attempt to remove her from office. However, with the petition’s failure, the senator remains in her seat, at least for now.
With this recall effort unsuccessful, political observers are watching closely to see whether Akpoti-Uduaghan’s opponents will attempt alternative strategies to challenge her position. Meanwhile, supporters argue that the recall bid was politically motivated and lacked widespread public backing from the start.
As Nigeria’s political landscape continues to evolve, this case serves as a reminder that while recall petitions are a democratic tool, they must adhere to strict legal and procedural requirements to succeed. Whether this marks the end of the controversy surrounding Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan or merely the beginning of a new chapter remains to be seen.
