INEC (the Independent National Electoral Commission) has rejected a petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central Senatorial District due to missing contact details.
The petition claimed that more than half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district supported the recall. However, INEC found that the petitioners failed to provide a clear contact address, complete phone numbers, and email addresses, which its regulations require. The given address—”Okene, Kogi State”—was too vague, and the petition included only one phone number instead of full contact details for all representatives.
Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner & Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, explained in a statement on Thursday, March 25, 2025, that the petitioners did not include adequate communication details in their cover letter. This omission violated Clause 1(f) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines.
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INEC stressed that the recall process must follow the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and its 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall. If the petition meets all legal requirements, INEC will verify the signatures of registered voters who signed it. The verification will take place at polling units using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Both the petitioners and the senator can send representatives to observe the process. Journalists and independent observers will also be present. INEC reassured the public that it remains committed to a transparent process and urged everyone to ignore false information spreading on social media.
If the petitioners should submit the correct contact details, INEC will move forward with the next steps. In the meantime, the commission is trying to reach them through other means.
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