The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to outrightly dismiss the petition seeking her recall.
Grassroots Parrot reports that the suspended lawmaker described the commission’s response as a sign of bias.
INEC, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed receiving the petition, which reportedly includes signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the senatorial district.
However, the electoral body noted that the petition lacked key details required under its 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall. These missing elements include the contact addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of the petitioners.
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In reaction, Akpoti-Uduaghan, through her lawyer Victor Giwa, sent a letter dated March 26, accusing INEC of compromising its neutrality by guiding the petitioners rather than declaring the petition invalid due to its procedural flaws.
“The commission’s stance, as outlined in its March 25 press release signed by Sam Olumekun, suggests partiality in favor of the petitioners,” the letter stated.
It further argued that since the petition did not meet the required legal threshold—lacking necessary contact information—INEC should have dismissed it outright as “incompetent” instead of providing an opportunity for correction.
The senator insisted that a truly neutral INEC would have ended the process by ruling the petition defective. Instead, the commission advised the petitioners to supply the missing details, after which it would proceed with verifying the signatures at polling units.
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“This action indicates bias and compromises the integrity of the process,” she argued.
Additionally, Akpoti-Uduaghan highlighted a significant flaw in the petition, noting that the provided addresses were limited to Okene, Kogi State, suggesting that the signatures may not truly represent the entire senatorial district.
She maintained that INEC’s decision to allow corrections rather than outright rejection violated due process, calling on the commission to act fairly and restore public trust.
“We still believe that the commission will do the right thing,” she concluded.