4th April, 2025
News desk
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed the verification of 208,132 signatures and thumbprints from the recall petition against Senator Natasha. However, this falls short of the constitutional requirement by 29,146 signatures, meaning the recall process will not proceed.
In a statement issued by Sam Olumekun, mni, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information & Voter Education Committee, INEC detailed the verification process and its conclusion.
The statement, released after INEC’s regular weekly meeting on Thursday, April 3, 2025, explained that the commission reviewed and approved the report on the physical count of the submitted signatures/thumbprints, following Clause 2(b) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
INEC reiterated its commitment to handling the matter fairly and in accordance with the law. The process included verifying the petition’s compliance with submission requirements, notifying the affected senator, informing the Senate’s presiding officer, and making the notice public. The final step was verifying the number of signatures/thumbprints to ensure they met legal requirements.
For a recall petition to be valid, Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) requires the signatures of more than half of the registered voters in the constituency. In Kogi Central Senatorial District, where 474,554 voters are registered, at least 237,278 valid signatures were required.
Following verification across 902 polling units, 57 registration areas, and five local government areas, INEC confirmed 208,132 valid signatures—representing only 43.86% of registered voters—falling short of the required threshold.
As a result, the recall petition does not meet the constitutional requirements, and no further action will be taken. In accordance with Clause 2(d) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, INEC has issued a public notice stating its decision, which has also been communicated to the Senate’s presiding officer.
