The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reportedly rejected a petition seeking the recall of suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

INEC cited failure to meet basic submission requirements as reasons for rejecting the recall. The Chairman of Voter Education at INEC, Sam Olumekun stated that the recall of an elected representative follows a constitutionally defined process.

He noted that it is compulsory to fulfill all necessary conditions before being considered, although over half of the 474,544 registered voters in Natasha’s constituency reportedly signed the petition.

INEC also pointed out a critical omission, the absence of the petitioners’ contact address.

The commission stated, “The representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone numbers, and email addresses as required by Clause 1(f) of our Regulations and Guidelines,” the statement read. “The address given—‘Okene, Kogi State’—is not specific enough for communication, and only the lead petitioner’s phone number was provided instead of all representatives’ contacts.

“Once the petition meets the necessary requirements, the commission will begin verifying the signatures in each polling unit through an open process limited to the registered voters who signed the petition.”