The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has called on the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to investigate what it described as an alleged unauthorised and fraudulent use of personal data of constituents in the failed recall attempt of senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The organisation expressed concern that the personal information of voters may have been illegally harvested and deployed without their consent in a bid to generate signatures for the recall petition.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, TMG Chairman, Auwal Rafsanjani)
observed that such an act amounts to a gross violation of the Data Protection Act which he said also undermines public trust in Nigeria’s democratic process.

He called for a forensic verification of the Voter Identification Numbers (VINs) submitted in the recall process using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

TMG’s position came a few days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dismissed the petition seeking to recall Natasha for failing to meet constitutional requirements.

The commission had revealed that following a thorough review of the signatures and thumbprints submitted by petitioners, only 208,132 signatories were verified falling short of the required 237,278 by 29,146.

Rafsanjani, however expressed concern on how more than 50 per cent of total registered voters in Kogi Central quickly turned up to sign the petition for the recall of Natasha in a country he said has historically experienced a worrisome level of voter apathy.

According to him, this occurrence calls for deeper insight that can only be brought about through thorough investigation.

“While it is noted that INEC has terminated the process at the stage of counting signatories to the petition as the number of signatories did not meet the constitutional requirements for further verification, the seeming fraud of harvesting voters’ details from anywhere to file the petition cannot be overlooked”, he said.

Rafsanjani added: “We are also deeply worried that against the provision of the Data Protection Act, personal data of citizens of Kogi Central Senatorial District has been harvested and used without their consent. This fraud must be investigated by the National Data Protection Commission to assure Nigerians that their personal data will indeed be protected as envisaged by the law.

“Further investigations to verify and authenticate the Voter Identification Number (VIN) through the BVAS must be carried out. Where investigations reveal a fraudulent process, the petitioners must be brought to justice to serve as deterrent to those who would be willing to be induced and used by politicians for this kind of charade in the future.

While describing the entire recall move as a mere charade driven by political interests rather than the legitimate will of the people, Rafsanjani further criticised the Senate’s handling of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension, accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of bias for presiding over proceedings despite being directly involved in the dispute.

He warned against weaponising the recall provision enshrined in Section 69 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), stressing that such tools must not be reduced to instruments for silencing dissent or intimidating political opponents.

Rafsanjani added: “In the eyes of Nigerians, the attempt to recall Senator Natasha was an attempt to silence her and undermine the choice of the electorates in Kogi Central amidst the rift with the Senate President. In all of these, the people of the senatorial district who freely gave her the mandate to represent them in the Senate have remained resolute against every attempt to silent their senator.

TMG insists that thorough investigations over the allegations against the Senate President must be carried out as those allegations are too weighty to be swept under the carpet.
Let it be clear that TMG holds no reservation if the Senate agrees to discipline a member for disobeying the rules and procedures of the Senate.

“However, the ensuing allegations of sexual harassment, abuse of power and a trampling on the right to perform legislative functions must be treated separately as all senators are equally elected by their respective constituents. The leadership of the Senate must recognize the huge gender imbalance in the Senate and not continue to present itself as a misogynist institution against one of the few women in the 10th Senate.”