*Couldn’t get 50%
*As INEC stops recall
By Chesa Chesa, Abuja and Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The petition seeking the recall of the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, has failed to fly as it could not meet the constitutional threshold of garnering the required 50% of registered voters’ signatures.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed this in a statement issued on Thursday, after completing the physical count of the signatures submitted by the petitioners.
“For emphasis, a petition for the recall of a Senator must comply with the provision of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which requires the signatures of more than one-half of the registered voters in the constituency,” INEC stated.
According to the electoral body, Kogi Central Senatorial District has a total of 474,554 registered voters, whereas for the petition to be valid, at least 237,278 signatures were required.
However, only 208,132 signatures were ascertained, representing 43.86% of the registered voters, which falls short by 29,146 signatories.
“Across the 902 polling units in 57 registration areas and five local government areas that make up the senatorial district, the Commission ascertained 208,132 signatures/thumbprints from the submission made by the petitioners.
“This translates to 43.86% of the registered voters, which falls short of the constitutional requirement by 29,146 signatories. Consequently, the petition has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution.
“Therefore, no further action shall be taken on the recall of the Senator,” the statement signed by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, read.
The recall petition was initiated by a group of petitioners who accused Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of “gross misconduct, abuse of office, evasion of due process, and a litany of actions that have not only embarrassed the people of Kogi Central constituency but also tainted the integrity of the Nigerian Senate and our democratic institutions.”
The petitioners claimed that they had secured signatures from more than half of the registered voters in Kogi Central and urged INEC to proceed with the recall process.
