The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),says the petition for the recall of the Senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District, Akpoti Natasha Uduaghan,failed to provide the contact information of the petitioners.
The Commission said contact is a mandatory requirement under Clause 1(f) of the regulations and guidelines for recall.
It revealed that the petition for the recall of the Kogi Central Senator was submitted with a substantial volume of supporting documents-six large bags, containing purported signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters across 902 polling units, within the 57 Registration Areas (Wards) spread across five Local Government Areas: Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.
In a statement signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC,lamented that lack of detailed contact information (such as addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses) complicates the Commission’s ability to engage with the petitioners.
It added:”The only address provided, “Okene, Kogi State,” lacks the necessary specificity, and the telephone number of only the “lead petitioner” was included, leaving the remaining representatives unreachable”.
INEC emphasized that the recall process is a constitutional right of registered voters within a constituency.
The Commission,it said, is duty-bound to verify the signatures of those who express a lack of confidence in their representative, provided the petition meets the legal requirements.
It assured that the verification process will be carried out transparently, in full compliance with the law, and only those voters who signed the petition will be eligible to participate.
It also said,both the petitioners and the legislator whose recall is sought will have the opportunity to appoint agents to observe the process.
Besides, accredited observers and members of the media will be invited to witness the verification, which will be conducted using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) at each Polling Unit.
It said:”INEC reiterated that if the petitioners comply with the requirements outlined in Clause 1(f) of the Regulations and Guidelines, the Commission will proceed with the next steps as stipulated by the relevant laws and regulations. However, due to the lack of a clear contact address, INEC is exploring alternative means to notify the petitioners about the current situation.
“The Commission assures the public that it will continue to uphold the legal framework guiding the recall process. INEC also urged the public to disregard any misinformation or rumors circulating on social media regarding the matter”.
