BY JOY OKON
No fewer than 250,000 registered voters in Kogi Central Senatorial District yesterday submitted a recall petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The total number of registered voters in the district is 580,000.
The petition was received by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, at the agency’s head office in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The constituents accused the Senator of gross misconduct, abuse of office, evasion of due process and deceitful behaviour that has embarrassed the people of the district.
The petitioners said they were acting in pursuant to Section 69 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall Petitions.
The submission of the petition to INEC followed the lifting of the order stopping the commission from receiving it by the court.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended on March 6 for “gross misconduct” after a dispute over sitting arrangements with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who she later accused of sexual harassment.
The five-page petition signed by the lead petitioner, Salihu Habib, demanded her recall over alleged recklessness, dishonesty and misplaced priorities.
Habib said: “We urge INEC, as a constitutionally mandated electoral body, to act with urgency and impartiality in processing this petition, and we look forward to INEC’s impartial actions in this regard in the interest of democratic accountability, governance integrity and the peace and progress of the good people of Kogi Central Senatorial District, Kogi State and our great country, Nigeria.”
The recall process, according to the guidelines, is in three stages.
The first stage is the collation of signatures of more than half of registered voters in the district calling for recall.
The second is the submission of the register and register of signatories to INEC for verification.
The third is the conduct of referendum by the commission through a ‘yes or no’ vote.
Following the yes vote, a Certificate of Recall is sent to the Senate President for the recall of the affected Senator.
However, according to commentators, it is a complex process.
I never apologised to Senate, says senator
Akpoti-Uduaghan denied that she had apologised to the Senate, following the controversy that led to her suspension.
The senator said in a statement that she was facing “coordinated efforts to suppress her voice” in the National Assembly.
She alleged that certain individuals were spreading false narratives to manipulate public perception, adding that she would not be intimidated.
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2025-03-24