INEC officially notifies Senate President Akpabio of Senator Natasha’s failed recall

The office of Senate President Godswill Akpabio has officially received a report from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirming the failure of the petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The acknowledgement was confirmed through a stamp on a letter addressed to Akpabio on Thursday.

The letter stated: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hereby notifies the public that the petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, which was submitted to the Commission on Monday, 24th March 2025, by representatives of the petitioners who are registered voters in the constituency, has NOT met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). The petition was signed by 208,132 out of 474,554 registered voters in the constituency. This represents 43.86% as against the constitutional requirement of at least 50%+1 persons registered to vote in the constituency. Consequently, NO FURTHER ACTION shall be taken on the petition.

“This Public Notice is issued pursuant to the provision of Clause 2(d) of the Regulations and Guidelines for the Recall of a Member of the National Assembly, House of Assembly of a State or Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (2024).”

Last month, constituents from Kogi Central had submitted the recall petition to INEC. The petition was accompanied by six bags filled with documents containing signatures, which petitioners claimed were collected from more than half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district.

These signatures were collected from 902 polling units across the five local government areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.