Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall process has been faulted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a statement on the X handle of the commission, INEC said the petition fails to meet the minimum requirement prescribed in the 1999 constitution.
The short statement by INEC reads: “The petition for the recall of the Senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). Detailed statement shortly.”
That portion of the Constitution says:
“A member of the Senate or of the House Representatives may be recalled as such a member if –
(a) there is presented to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission a petition in that behalf signed by more than one-half of the persons registered to vote in that member’s constituency alleging their loss of confidence in that member; and
(b) the petition is thereafter, in a referendum conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission within ninety days of the date of receipt of the petition, approved by a simple majority of the votes of the persons registered to vote in that member’s constituency.”