The Independent National Electoral Commission has formally notified suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio about the receipt of a petition to recall her from the National Assembly.
The National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, revealed this on Wednesday.
He said the updated contact information— including phone numbers, email addresses, and other details—was submitted to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, today (Wednesday).
The INEC had on Tuesday, turned down the petition because the petitioners initially did not provide addresses and phone numbers, as required under the Commission’s 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall.
INEC said with the corrections now made, it has formally informed Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan of the receipt of the recall petition, adding that the letter has been delivered to her official address and copied to the presiding officer of the Senate.
According to the commission, the updated details had been uploaded on INEC’s website.
“Further to the statement issued yesterday, Tuesday 25th March 2025, the Commission hereby confirms that the contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission dated today Wednesday 26th March 2025.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the Senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address.
“The same letter has been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website,” the statement read in part.
The commission said with this, it would now go ahead to verify if more than 50 percent of the registered voters in Kogi Central had endorsed the petition, adding that the verification will determine the next steps in the recall procedure, which will be publicly disclosed in the coming days.
INEC said the entire process will be conducted transparently, with full adherence to the legal guidelines.
“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50 percent) of the registered voters in the Constituency. This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission.
“We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent,” the statement concluded.
The petition was submitted on behalf of the constituents by Charity Ijese.
INEC’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on Monday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja received and endorsed the petition.
