Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Criticizes INEC Over Recall Petition Handling
The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has strongly criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for not outrightly dismissing a petition seeking her recall. She described INEC’s handling of the matter as an indication of bias and a compromise of its neutrality.
INEC, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed receiving the petition. The petition reportedly contains signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the senatorial district. However, the electoral body noted that it lacked essential details such as contact addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of the petitioners, violating the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
In response, Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her lawyer Victor Giwa, accused INEC of taking sides by guiding the petitioners instead of dismissing the petition outright due to its procedural flaws.
Her letter, dated March 26, stated, “Your position, as disclosed in your press release of March 25, 2025, signed by Sam Olumekun, shows that the Commission has taken sides in favor of the petitioners. The Commission noted that the petition did not meet the legal threshold for recall, yet rather than dismissing it as incompetent, it opted to advise the petitioners on how to amend it.”
The embattled lawmaker insisted that INEC should have declared the petition defective and discontinued the process to maintain impartiality.
“Legally, the Commission should have ruled the petition as incompetent due to its obvious defects. Instead, INEC chose to act as an adviser, instructing the petitioners to provide the missing details before proceeding with signature verification,” she added.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also pointed out that the addresses in the petition were limited to Okene, Kogi State, raising concerns that the signatures might not reflect the entire senatorial district.
“The address provided in the petition is limited to Okene, meaning that the 250 signatories mentioned likely came from just one locality. This does not represent the entire district,” she argued.
She further asserted that INEC’s decision to allow corrections instead of disqualifying the petition was a breach of due process. She called on the Commission to act with fairness and transparency to restore public trust in the electoral process.
“We urge INEC to do the needful and uphold its integrity. The public trust in the Commission is fast declining, and we believe it should act rightly to rebuild confidence,” she stated.
The controversy surrounding the recall petition continues to generate intense debate, with observers closely watching how INEC will handle the matter moving forward.
References
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Criticizes INEC Over Recall Petition Handling