The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may conduct a referendum within 90 days to determine the fate of suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.
Last week, constituents from her district submitted a recall petition against her, citing loss of confidence, gross misconduct, abuse of office, and deceit. The petition was accompanied by six bags of documents containing signatures collected from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in Kogi Central.
INEC Begins Verification Process
INEC has started verifying the submitted signatures. According to its Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, the recall process will move to a referendum if more than half of the registered voters endorse the petition.
“If the petition meets the required threshold, the commission shall conduct a referendum within 90 days from the date of receipt,” INEC stated.
However, if the petition fails to gather enough valid signatures, INEC will issue a public notice stating that the recall process has failed.
Referendum and Next Steps
If the petition is successful, INEC will announce the date, time, and location of the referendum, where voters will decide whether Senator Natasha should remain in office or be removed.
The recall process is expected to be conducted in the five local government areas of Kogi Central—Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene. The petitioners claim to have collected signatures from voters in 902 polling units across the district.
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Why Natasha is Facing Recall
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended from the Senate on March 6 over allegations of gross misconduct following a disagreement with Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Her recall petition alleges that she has failed to represent her constituents effectively and has engaged in acts of deceit and abuse of office.
A notification letter about the petition has already been sent to Senator Natasha and the presiding officer of the Senate.
Experts Weigh In on the Recall Process
Debo Adeniran, Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, said past recall attempts in Nigeria have failed due to the difficulty of gathering and verifying signatures.
He noted that in the United States, the recall system is much simpler, allowing voters to remove elected officials more easily.
“The National Assembly must reform the recall laws to make the process easier at all levels of government,” Adeniran said.
Similarly, Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, emphasized the need for a national debate on the recall system.
“Recalls should only happen when an official has violated public trust—through corruption, human rights abuses, or failure to perform their duties,” Rafsanjani stated.
He called for a transparent, fair, and evidence-based recall process to prevent political manipulation.