By Eshioromeh Sebastian, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has firmly stated its intention to proceed with the recall process against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, despite objections from her legal team.
The development followed the submission of contacts and address of 280,000 registered voters claimed to have signed the petition for Natasha’s recall as requested by INEC
This also came just hours after the Senator’s lawyers argued that the petition failed to meet constitutional requirements when submitted on Monday.
In a press release issued Wednesday, INEC confirmed that it has received the contact details of the petitioners’ representatives, including their addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. The Commission has also formally notified Senator Natasha of the petition, in compliance with Clause 2(a) of its 2024 Recall Guidelines. A copy of the notice has been sent to the Senate President and published on INEC’s official website.
The next critical phase, according to the Commission, will involve verifying whether the petition was signed by more than 50% of registered voters in Kogi Central. INEC stated that this scrutiny will be conducted in the coming days, with the results determining whether the process advances to a referendum.
Earlier on Wednesday, Senator Natasha’s lawyers had demanded that INEC dismiss the petition, claiming it did not meet legal requirements when initially submitted. They argued that procedural flaws should invalidate the process. However, INEC’s latest statement suggests the Commission disagrees and will proceed as planned.
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