BREAKING: INEC makes u-turn, okays petition to recall Natasha, notifies Senate President

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally notified Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of an ongoing recall process initiated by her constituents in Kogi Central.

The recall effort follows allegations of gross misconduct and a vote of no confidence passed against her.

INEC’s notification came after the petitioners submitted a letter containing their detailed addresses, resolving an earlier issue where the electoral body had stated that necessary contact information was not provided.

In a statement on Wednesday, INEC’s National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mr. Sam Olumekun, confirmed that the petitioners’ representatives had now provided their contact addresses, phone numbers, and email details in a letter addressed to the Commission’s Chairman.

“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the Senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address. The same letter has been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website,” Olumekun stated.

He further explained that the next step would be to verify the signatures submitted by the petitioners to ensure they represent more than 50% of registered voters in Kogi Central.

This verification process will be conducted in the coming days, with the results made public to determine the next course of action.

INEC reassured Nigerians that the recall process would be conducted with transparency and in line with legal provisions.