Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan commended INEC for dismissing her recall petition. She believes INEC should have dismissed it sooner. Natasha explained in an interview on April 3, 2025, that the recall petition was flawed from the start. She argued that the petition did not meet legal requirements under the Electoral Act. She questioned why a missing or false address should trigger a recall.
Natasha criticised the recall process. She claimed many petition addresses were inaccurate. Natasha noted that most homes in her district lack proper labeling. She challenged INEC’s decision to verify only a few signatures among the 208,000 collected. She expressed doubt that INEC would have verified more than 500 signatures if the process continued.
INEC confirmed the petition failed to satisfy Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. The commission stated it would take no further action on the recall petition. INEC spokesperson Rotimi Oyekanmi reaffirmed that the commission acted impartially and professionally throughout the process.
Natasha further accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governor Usman Ododo, and former governor Yahaya Bello of orchestrating the recall attempt. Her lawyer, Victor Giwa, blamed the Kogi State Government for the petition. He claimed Charity Omole, an aide to Governor Ododo, led constituents in submitting the petition on March 24, 2025.
The controversy escalated after Natasha faced a Senate suspension for six months amid allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of office against Senate President Akpabio. Natasha argued that the recall petition, although flawed, did not warrant such drastic political measures.
The case has stirred debate over recall procedures and electoral integrity. Both INEC and Natasha stress that strict adherence to the law is essential. The incident underscores the need for accurate voter information and robust verification processes in Nigeria’s electoral system.
