By Bukola Kayode
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has written the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio, saying that the contact details of the petitioners’ representatives in the recall process have now been corrected.
INEC latest letters followed an amendment made by the constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District to address an earlier error in the recall petition.
The National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said in a statement that the petitioners have updated contact information— including phone numbers, email addresses, and other details—was submitted to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, today (Wednesday).
The update came after INEC had raised concerns in an earlier statement on Tuesday, which pointed out that the petitioners had initially failed to provide the necessary contact details, such as addresses and phone numbers, as required under the Commission’s 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall.
The statement read in part: “Further to the statement issued yesterday, Tuesday 25th March 2025, the Commission hereby confirms that the contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission dated today Wednesday 26th March 2025.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the Senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address.
“The same letter has been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website,” the statement read in part.
The statement noted that the next phase in the process would involve INEC verifying whether the petition has been endorsed by more than 50 percent of the registered voters in Kogi Central.
The outcome of this verification will determine the next steps in the recall procedure, which will be publicly disclosed in the coming days.
INEC assured the public that the entire process will be conducted transparently, with full adherence to the legal guidelines.
“The next step is to scrutinise the list of signatories submitted by the petitioners to ascertain that the petition is signed by more than one half (over 50 percent) of the registered voters in the Constituency. This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission.
“We once again reassure Nigerians that the process will be open and transparent,” the statement concluded.
The petition, presented on behalf of the constituents by Charity Ijese, was received and stamped by INEC’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on Monday at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
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