By Musa Baba Adamu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified shortcomings in the petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a statement issued yesterday, Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner & Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, noted that the petition failed to meet some requirements.
Peoples Daily reports that the petition, submitted by constituents from Kogi Central Senatorial District, was accompanied by six bags of documents containing signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district.
INEC however, observed that the petitioners did not provide a clear contact address, phone numbers, or email addresses for all their representatives, as required by Clause 1(f) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall.
The petition only included the lead petitioner’s phone number and a vague address listed as “Okene, Kogi State.”
INEC reaffirmed that a recall is the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency who have lost confidence in their representative.
If a petition meets all requirements, INEC will proceed with the verification process using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in an open and transparent manner.
The commission urged the petitioners to fulfill all submission requirements before it can take further steps in line with existing laws and guidelines.
Meanwhile, INEC is attempting to reach the petitioners through alternative means to inform them of the deficiencies in their submission.
INEC assured the public that it remains committed to following due process in handling recall petitions.
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