26th March 2025, NewsOrient, News, Law And Society, Governance And Development. Photo Credit: Channels Television

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described as ‘incompetent’ the recent move by some elements claiming to be constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District to recall Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing them.

With this declaration made by INEC on Tuesday, it seems the current move to recall Senator Natasha Uduaghan is dead on arrival because INEC is the body to activate the process, after receiving the documents from the initiators of the project.

But in the move against Senator Natasha Uduaghan, INEC declared the process incompetent, adding that “it did not meet the requirements for the action.”

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, who conveyed the position of the electoral body, acknowledged that the petition was accompanied by six bags of documents which contained signatures from “over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) in the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene.”

He however stated that the signatories to the documents did not include their proper addresses and telephone numbers for verification as the law requires.

The statement reads: “The commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Tuesday, 25th March 2025. Among other issues, the meeting discussed the petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.

“The process of recall is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the commission’s detailed Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, available on our website. All petitions will be treated in strict compliance with the legal framework.

“The petition from Kogi Central Senatorial District was accompanied by six bags of documents said to be signatures collected from over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) in the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene.

“The commission’s immediate observation is that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) in the covering letter forwarding the petition through which they can be contacted as provided in Clause 1(f) of our Regulations and Guidelines.

“The address given is ‘Okene, Kogi State’, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners.

Only the telephone number of ‘the lead petitioner’ is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners.

The recall process is governed by the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and INEC’s own detailed guidelines. Once the petition meets all the legal requirements, INEC will initiate the verification of signatures in an open process at each polling unit. The verification will be limited to registered voters who signed the petition, and both the petitioners and the Senator facing recall will have the right to nominate agents to observe the process.

Signature verification will be conducted using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, and media and other observers will be accredited.

“The commission wishes to reiterate that the recall of a legislator is the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency who sign a petition indicating loss of confidence in the legislator representing them.

“Once the petition meets the requirements of submission, as contained in our regulations, the commission shall commence the verification of the signatures in each Polling Unit in an open process restricted to registered voters who signed the petition only.

“The petitioners and the member whose recall is sought shall be at liberty to nominate agents to observe the verification, while interested observers and the media will also be accredited.

At each Polling Unit, signatories to the petition shall be verified using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System,” he said.

~ Published By NewsOrient Network

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