Breaking: Why we cannot recall Natasha— INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ruled that the petition to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, failed to meet the constitutional requirements.

In a statement issued on Thursday, April 3, 2025, INEC stated that after reviewing the petitioners’ signatures and thumbprints, the numbers fell short of the threshold outlined in Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

According to the Commission, a valid recall petition requires signatures from more than half of the registered voters in the affected senatorial district. In Kogi Central, this translates to at least 237,278 valid signatures out of the 474,554 registered voters. However, INEC’s verification process confirmed only 208,132 signatures, which represents 43.86%—falling short by 29,146 signatures.

“The petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District has not met the requirement of the Constitution. Therefore, no further action shall be taken on the matter,” INEC declared.

The Commission emphasized that due process was followed, including notifying the senator in writing, informing the Senate’s presiding officer, and making the petition public. The final step involved physically verifying the submitted signatures to ensure compliance with legal standards.

With this ruling, the recall process against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has effectively been halted, barring any fresh attempts to restart the process with the required number of signatures.

INEC has made the full review report, including a breakdown of signatures by Local Government Areas, available on its website and social media platforms.