The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that petitioners seeking to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, only gathered 208,132 verified signatures, falling 29,146 short of the 237,278 required by constitutional provisions.
The figures, representing just 43.86% of registered voters across the district’s 902 polling units, failed to meet the threshold stipulated in Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution which mandates majority support from constituents.
This section of INEC’s statement, according to Sam Olumekun, INEC
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, released on Thursday, provides the critical numerical breakdown of the recall petition’s failure. The electoral body examined submissions across all 902 polling units in Kogi Central’s 5 LGAs and found: Total verified signatures: 208,132 (43.86% of voters) -Constitutional requirement: 237,278 signatures (50%+1 of voters) – Shortfall: 29,146 signatures
The numbers demonstrate the petition didn’t meet Nigeria’s strict constitutional threshold for recalling a senator, which requires majority voter support.
The precise figures (208,132 vs required 237,278) show the petition secured substantial but insufficient backing, falling about 6% points short of the halfway mark. INEC’s granular verification across all polling units lends credibility to this outcome.
The statement read in part: “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.
“In line with the provision of Clause 2(d) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, the Commission has issued a Public Notice to that effect which is also copied to the presiding officer of the Senate.
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