The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected a petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Kogi Central Senatorial District, citing significant procedural deficiencies in the submission.

In a statement released on Tuesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, Sam Olumekun, detailed the reasons behind the commission’s decision to not proceed with the recall process. The petition, which arrived accompanied by six bags of documents, claimed to represent signatures from more than half of the 474,554 registered voters across 902 Polling Units in five local government areas: Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.

Olumekun highlighted critical shortcomings in the petition’s submission. The representatives failed to provide complete contact information as required by INEC regulations. The covering letter lacked specific contact addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses for the petitioners. The only address provided was the generalized “Okene, Kogi State,” which does not meet the commission’s specificity requirements. Only the lead petitioner’s telephone number was included, contrary to the requirement for contact details of all representatives.

The electoral commission emphasized that legislator recall remains the “prerogative of registered voters” who must follow precise procedural guidelines. Olumekun noted that once the petition fully complies with Clause 1(f) of their Regulations and Guidelines, INEC will announce subsequent steps.

The recall petition follows Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recent suspension from the Senate, which occurred after she publicly accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual assault.