INEC notifies Natasha of recall petition

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it has formally notified the senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, about the receipt of a petition seeking her recall.

INEC confirmed this development in a statement issued by Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun on Wednesday.

According to the commission, the petitioners have now provided their contact details, including a mailing address, phone numbers, and email, in compliance with the commission’s guidelines.

This was after the commission on Tuesday said the petitioners seeking Natasha’s recall have not yet met the necessary submission requirements.

The commission raised concerns that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) in the covering letter forwarding the petition through which they can be contacted as provided in Clause 1(f) of its Regulations and Guidelines

But in a statement Wednesday, Olumekun said the contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, dated today Wednesday March, 26, 2025.

“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the Senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address. The same letter has been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website”, the commission said.

“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50%) of the registered voters in the Constituency. This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission.

“We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent”, INEC added.