Suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has praised the Independent National Electoral Commission for rejecting a recall petition filed against her, describing it as a victory for Nigerians.
INEC stated that for a recall petition to be valid, it must be signed by more than half of the registered voters in the senatorial district. However, only 208,132 signatures were verified, falling short of the required 237,278. Consequently, the commission ruled out any further action on the recall process.
Reacting to the development, Mrs. Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed gratitude to her supporters and declared that two more battles remained ahead.
“INEC, you did well,” Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan said in a tweet on Thursday, describing INEC’s declaration as “a victory for the people of Nigeria.”
The senator has been embroiled in controversy following her six-month suspension by the Senate after she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment—an allegation Mr. Akpabio denied. She has maintained that her suspension was unconstitutional and aimed at silencing her.
Moreover, the electoral body on Thursday stated, “For emphasis, a petition for the recall of a senator must comply with the provision of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which requires the signatures of more than one-half of the registered voters in the constituency. The total number of registered voters in the Kogi Central Senatorial District is 474,554. More than one-half of this figure (i.e. 50%+1) is 237,277+1 which is at least 237,278 voters.’’
“Across the 902 polling units in 57 registration areas and five local government areas that make up the senatorial district, the commission ascertained 208,132 signatures/thumbprints from the submission made by the petitioners. This translates to 43.86% of the registered voters which falls short of the constitutional requirement by 29,146 signatories. Consequently, the petition has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution. Therefore, no further action shall be taken on the recall of the senator, ”It added.
