The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the petition seeking to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan did not meet the requirements for the recall process to commence.
In a statement released on Tuesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, confirmed the receipt of the petition from Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The petition was accompanied by six bags of documents containing signatures from “over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 registration areas (wards) in the five Local government areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.”
However, INEC stated that the petition was incomplete, as the representatives of the petitioners failed to provide essential contact details, including a specific address, multiple phone numbers, and email addresses.
According to Clause 1(f) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines, a valid petition must include these details for official correspondence.
“The address given is ‘Okene, Kogi State’, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners.
Only the telephone number of ‘the lead petitioner’ is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners,” the statement read.
Olumekun emphasized that the recall of a legislator is a constitutional process and can only proceed if all requirements are met. If the petitioners rectify the identified deficiencies, INEC will verify the signatures in an open process.
Registered voters who signed the petition will undergo verification using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), while petitioners and the senator will be allowed to have agents observe the verification process. Accredited observers and the media will also be granted access.
The petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan follows her recent suspension from the Senate after she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment. The controversy surrounding the petition has fueled speculation on social media, with some questioning the motives behind the recall effort.
INEC reassured the public that the commission remains committed to upholding the rule of law and following due process in the recall proceedings. “The public should therefore discountenance any speculations and insinuations in the social media,” the commission stated.
The next steps in the recall process will depend on whether the petitioners provide the missing requirements outlined by INEC.
INEC Rejects Petition to Recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Over Incomplete Requirements
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the petition seeking to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan did not meet the necessary requirements for the recall process to commence.
In a statement released on Tuesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, confirmed the receipt of the petition from Kogi Central Senatorial District. The petition was accompanied by six bags of documents containing signatures from “over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) in the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.”
However, INEC stated that the petition was incomplete, as the representatives of the petitioners failed to provide essential contact details, including a specific address, multiple phone numbers, and email addresses. According to Clause 1(f) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines, a valid petition must include these details for official correspondence.
“The address given is ‘Okene, Kogi State’, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners. Only the telephone number of ‘the lead petitioner’ is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners,” the statement read.
Olumekun emphasized that the recall of a legislator is a constitutional process and can only proceed if all requirements are met. If the petitioners rectify the identified deficiencies, INEC will verify the signatures in an open process.
Registered voters who signed the petition will undergo verification using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), while petitioners and the senator will be allowed to have agents observe the verification process.
Accredited observers and the media will also be granted access.
The petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan follows her recent suspension from the Senate after she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment. The controversy surrounding the petition has fueled speculation on social media, with some questioning the motives behind the recall effort.
INEC reassured the public that the commission remains committed to upholding the rule of law and following due process in the recall proceedings. “The public should therefore discountenance any speculations and insinuations in the social media,” the commission stated.
The next steps in the recall process will depend on whether the petitioners provide the missing requirements outlined by INEC.
