The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the petition for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District, did not fulfill the necessary requirements outlined in Section 69(a) of the Nigerian Constitution.
INEC made this statement in a tweet on its official social media handle on Thursday.
“The petition for the recall of the Senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended),” the tweet read.
This announcement follows accusations by the suspended senator that INEC was acting with bias in the attempt to recall her from the Senate.
In a speech to her supporters in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State on Tuesday, the senator, who had arrived via helicopter due to a move to prevent her homecoming rally, accused INEC of helping the petitioners perfect their actions.
She told the jubilant crowd, “What I see INEC doing is aiding and guiding petitioners on how to perfect their illicit acts.”
She continued, “The first time the petition was submitted, they didn’t have addresses and phone numbers, so INEC went out to guide them on how to submit information that would perfect their petition.”
The senator further criticized the petitioners, claiming that they were from the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), and submitted the petition using the letterhead of a group called Kogi Central Political Frontier.
She explained that the address listed on the petition, “number 4, Oboroke,” did not exist.
She also revealed that she conducted a check with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to verify the registration status of Kogi Central Political Frontier and found that the association was not registered.
“I’m still waiting and wondering why INEC has not yet made a statement to that effect or sent people down to Oboroke here, which is just five minutes away, to ascertain whether that address is real,” Akpoti-Uduaghan said.
“Or have we stooped to the point where fictitious, non-existing associations and individuals can call for the recall of a senator? Are we in a kangaroo country? We should not allow that.”
Despite the setbacks, the senator assured her supporters, “I don’t know whether the process will be stalled, but we are in courts as well. Also, I don’t know when they will come down here to verify. But I will say this, if the time ever comes for the verification of the 250,000 people that signed for my recall, I trust that you will do right.”
