The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that the Nigerian Constitution does not limit the number of times a lawmaker can be subjected to a recall process. This statement was made by Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today program.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Oyekanmi’s remarks come amid ongoing controversy surrounding a failed attempt to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central. He explained that Section 69 of the Constitution outlines the recall process but does not restrict the number of recall attempts. For any recall to succeed, the petition must secure signatures from at least 50 percent plus one of the registered voters in the affected constituency.

Failed Recall Petition
INEC recently announced that the recall petition against Akpoti-Uduaghan failed because the number of verified signatures did not meet the constitutional threshold. The petition, submitted on March 24 by a group led by Charity Omole, fell short of the required 50 percent of registered voters in Kogi Central.

Omole, advocating for the recall, stated that more than 250,000 of the 488,000 registered voters had signed the petition, citing Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension from the Senate as the reason. However, INEC pointed out that the initial submission lacked the necessary contact details of the petitioners, a requirement per the commission’s guidelines.

INEC Refutes Allegations of Bias
Oyekanmi dismissed allegations that INEC acted with bias during the recall process. He clarified that the commission merely requested the missing information in compliance with procedural requirements and did not reject the petition solely due to the incomplete cover letter. He emphasized that INEC’s actions were in line with legal standards and not influenced by partisan interests.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, however, accused INEC of assisting the petitioners in completing the submission, alleging that the process was manipulated against her. She claimed that the petition was filed using the letterhead of a group linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Kogi Central Political Frontier.

Legal and Political Context
Despite the controversy, INEC maintains that it acted within the law, affirming that the recall process is constitutional and remains open-ended as long as the required voter support is achieved. The commission reiterated its commitment to upholding fairness and transparency in handling the recall process.