The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that no further action shall be taken on the petition to recall(withdrawal from Senate) Senator Natasha Akpoti.
INEC disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, following its review of signatures and thumbprints of petitioners who forwarded the petition for the recall of Akpoti, a Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
A recall petition is submitted by the electorate of a constituency to withdraw their elected representative from the legislature.
The move by the petitioners came after the altercation between Akpabio and Akpoti became widespread in the red chamber.
Nairametrics previously reported that on February 28, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Akpabio of making inappropriate advances toward her during a visit to his home in December 2023.
She was eventually suspended for misconduct by the Senate, but her suspension has sparked mixed reactions within the political landscape.
INEC’s position on Recall
In the statement by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, INEC, he stated that the petition for the recall of the Senator failed to comply with the provision of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) which requires the signatures of more than one-half of the registered voters in the constituency.
“The total number of registered voters in the Kogi Central Senatorial District is 474,554. More than one-half of this figure (i.e. 50%+1) is 237,277+1 which is at least 237,278 voters.
“Across the 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas and five Local Government Areas that make up the Senatorial District, the Commission ascertained 208,132 signatures/thumbprints from the submission made by the petitioners.
“This translates to 43.86% of the registered voters which falls short of the constitutional requirement by 29,146 signatories,” he added.
Consequently, the Commission stressed that the petition has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution, and as such, “no further action shall be taken on the recall of the Senator”
Furthermore, a public notice to this effect has been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate.
Backstory
The altercation between Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Akpabio became widely publicized after she was asked to change her seat during plenary.
- Akpoti-Uduaghan approached the Federal High Court Abuja afterwards for redress against her suspension but the presiding judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu eventually withdrew himself, citing petition of bias from one those she sued.
- While some lawmakers and analysts view the suspension as a necessary enforcement of legislative discipline, others argue that the penalties are excessive and could set a dangerous precedent for stifling dissent within the Senate.
Meanwhile, a NAN report says the Federal High Court Chief Judge John Tsoho has reassigned Akpoti’s case against the Senate and Akpabio to Justice Binta Nyako.
