Petition To Recall Senator Natasha Falls Short By 29,146 Signatures- INEC

Abuja, Nigeria – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed the petition seeking to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District after the verification of signatures fell short of the constitutional requirement.

Following its weekly meeting on Thursday, April 3, 2025, INEC reviewed and approved the report of its physical count of signatures and thumbprints submitted with the recall petition.

The Commission emphasised its commitment to fairness, transparency, and adherence to legal provisions.

According to the statement signed by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information & Voter Education Committee, the recall petition was assessed against Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The section mandates that more than one-half of the registered voters in a senatorial district must support a recall petition for it to proceed.

INEC confirmed that the total number of registered voters in Kogi Central is 474,554, meaning the recall petition required at least 237,278 valid signatures to meet the legal threshold.

However, after a careful review of submissions across 902 polling units in 57 registration areas covering five local government areas, the Commission ascertained only 208,132 valid signatures—equivalent to 43.86% of the registered voters. This fell short by 29,146 signatories.

Given the shortfall, INEC declared the recall petition unsuccessful and announced that no further action would be taken.

“The petition has not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution. Therefore, no further action shall be taken on the recall of the Senator,” the statement read.

In compliance with Clause 2(d) of the 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall, INEC has issued a public notice informing the public and relevant authorities, including the presiding officer of the Senate.

The summary of the review, including a breakdown of signatures by local government area, has been made available on INEC’s website and social media platforms.