Natasha’s Recall: Akpabio Receives INEC Report on Failed Petition 

By Femi Ogundele

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has received an official report from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirming the failure of the petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The report, addressed to Akpabio and acknowledged by his office on Thursday, stated that the recall petition did not meet the constitutional requirements.

According to INEC, the petition, submitted on March 24, 2025, was signed by 208,132 out of 474,554 registered voters in Kogi Central, representing 43.86%. This falls short of the 50% plus one threshold required under Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“Consequently, no further action shall be taken on the petition,” INEC stated in the letter, citing Clause 2(d) of the 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for the Recall of a Member of the National Assembly.

The recall attempt was initiated by some constituents who claimed to have gathered signatures from more than half of the electorate. The petition was submitted with six bags of documents containing the collected signatures.

The signatures were obtained from 902 polling units across five local government areas—Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene. Petitioners had urged INEC to verify their submission and proceed with the recall process.

However, INEC’s verification process found that the number of valid signatures was insufficient, leading to the rejection of the petition.

Under the law, a recall petition must be supported by at least half of the registered voters in a constituency before it can advance to a referendum. With only 43.86% support, the process was automatically terminated.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who was elected in 2023, has faced opposition from some political groups in her district but insists that her mandate remains intact.

With INEC’s decision formally communicated to the Senate President, the recall effort has officially ended, and no further action will be taken on the petition.