Ogona Anita
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that the petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is now in compliance with its regulations.
This follows a statement issued by the Commission on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, which initially indicated that the petition lacked key details such as the contact address of the petitioners, their telephone numbers, and email addresses. However, in a new development, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed that the missing details have now been provided in a formal letter addressed to the Commission’s Chairman on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
Next Steps in the Recall Process
According to INEC, as per Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a notification letter has now been sent to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan at her official address. The letter has also been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on INEC’s website for transparency.
The Commission will now move forward with scrutinizing the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to verify whether it meets the requirement that over 50% of the registered voters in the senator’s constituency have signed the petition. The verification process will take place in the coming days, and INEC has assured Nigerians that the outcome will be made public.
Background and Political Implications
This recall petition comes amid heightened political tensions, particularly after Akpoti-Uduaghan filed a fresh petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, leading to a heated Senate Ethics Committee hearing. The recall attempt is widely seen as a politically motivated response to her stance in the Senate.
As INEC proceeds with its verification, all eyes will be on the electoral body to see whether the petition meets the constitutional threshold for a recall referendum.
