When contacted for confirmation, Senator Natasha said she had not received any notice from INEC, questioning whether publishing the notice on social media was sufficient
By Titilope Adako
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has said she has not received notification of a petition for her recall from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A notice from INEC, addressed to Senator Natasha and titled “Receipt of a petition for your recall from the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” has been circulating online.
The notice, dated March 25, 2025, and signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs Rose Oriaran Anthony, reads:
“Pursuant to Section 69 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), I write to notify you of the receipt of a petition from representatives of registered voters in your constituency seeking your recall from the Senate.
“This notification is in line with the provision of Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall, 2024.
“This letter is also copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and simultaneously published on the Commission’s website.”
However, when contacted for confirmation, Senator Natasha said she had not received any notice from INEC, questioning whether publishing the notice on social media was sufficient.
She said, “I haven’t been served. I will ask my lawyers.”
INEC had earlier rejected the recall petition due to the absence of verifiable contact information but later accepted it after the petitioners provided their contact address, phone numbers, and email addresses in a formal letter to the Commission’s chairman.
The electoral body has now moved to the next phase, where it will scrutinise the submitted signatures to verify if they meet the constitutional requirement of more than 50 percent of the 474,554 registered voters in Kogi Central Senatorial District.
INEC also confirmed that a formal notification letter had been sent to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, informing her of the petition for her recall.
The recall petition has been marred by controversy, with allegations of fraud and political vendetta.
INEC’s initial rejection of the petition cited the lack of a clear contact address for the petitioners, raising questions about the legitimacy of the process.
However, with the new compliance by the petitioners, INEC has now moved forward despite legal challenges.
A Federal High Court in Lokoja had earlier issued an interim injunction restraining INEC from accepting or acting on any recall petition against Akpoti-Uduaghan, citing allegations of fraudulent signatures.
The case is set for a hearing on May 6, 2025.
Meanwhile, multiple sources have alleged that the recall move is being spearheaded by political allies of former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello as retaliation against Akpoti-Uduaghan, who has been vocal in criticising the state’s political establishment.
There are also reports that many voters were deceived into signing the recall petition under the guise of an empowerment programme.r.
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