The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dealt a heavy blow to efforts aimed at recalling Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, declaring the petition against her “inconclusive and constitutionally insufficient.”
In a fresh twist, allegations of forgery have emerged, with the senator accusing the petitioners of faking signatures in a desperate attempt to push through her recall.
The commission, in a statement on Thursday, said the petitioners failed to meet the constitutional requirement of securing at least 50% +1 of registered voters in the senatorial district. Of the 474,554 registered voters, the threshold stands at 237,278. However, INEC verified only 208,132 valid signatures, falling short by 29,146.
INEC emphasized that no further action would be taken on the matter, effectively bringing the recall effort to a halt.
“This translates to 43.86% of the registered voters, which falls short of the constitutional requirement. Therefore, no further action shall be taken,” the commission confirmed.
Despite the clear verdict, the petitioners, led by Salihu Habib, have vowed to relaunch their efforts, accusing INEC of lack of transparency.
“We are not giving up. We will pursue this within the framework of the Constitution,” Habib stated.
However, INEC’s Director of Voter Education, Victoria Eta-Messi, poured cold water on the idea of restarting the process.
“The law is silent on starting afresh. Even if it could be done, where are they getting the shortfall of over 29,000 signatures from?” she asked during an interview on Arise TV.
Meanwhile, Akpoti-Uduaghan is pushing back hard. Through her legal counsel, Victor Giwa, she has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police and Kogi State Commissioner of Police, alleging criminal forgery of petition signatures.
“It’s not over,” Giwa said. “Forgery is a criminal matter. The petitioners who submitted the forged signatures must answer for their actions.”
The investigation has already begun, with police expected to question those who submitted the petition, including a key individual named Charity.
As the political drama unfolds, observers say the case may set a legal precedent for future recall attempts and raise questions about the authenticity and credibility of citizen-led petitions in Nigeria’s electoral system.
