The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially rejected the petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central in the National Assembly.
The commission declared that the petition failed to meet constitutional requirements, effectively bringing the recall process to an abrupt halt.
But was this recall attempt ever a realistic endeavour, or was it just another political power play doomed from the start?
Petition Falls Short of Legal Requirements
Despite claims by petitioners that they had secured enough support for the recall, INEC’s verification process told a different story.
Out of the 474,554 registered voters in Kogi Central, only 208,132 signed the petition—falling short of the required 50% plus one threshold by 29,146 signatures. This meant that only 43.86% of the electorate backed the move, well below the constitutional mandate.
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In a public statement, INEC made it clear:
“Consequently, no further action shall be taken on the petition.”
The electoral body issued this notice in accordance with Clause 2(d) of the 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for the Recall of a Member of the National Assembly, House of Assembly, or an Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
INEC’s spokesperson, Sam Olumekun, further explained that the leadership of the Senate had been informed of the failed recall attempt. Additionally, the commission uploaded a detailed breakdown of the verification process, listing the signatures by Local Government Area, for full transparency.
Who Wanted Akpoti-Uduaghan Recalled?
The recall effort was spearheaded by a group called “Concerned Kogi Youth and Women,” who submitted the petition on 24 March 2025.
The group, in a letter to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of failing to represent their interests and declared they had lost confidence in her leadership.
Their push for her removal stirred controversy, as many Nigerians questioned the authenticity of the petition, especially after its promoters initially claimed to have secured signatures from more than half of the constituency’s registered voters.
INEC, in response, carried out a meticulous verification process using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). Had the petition met the legal threshold, the commission would have proceeded to the next stage—a referendum where a simple majority vote could have determined the senator’s fate.
A Senator in Political Turmoil
This recall attempt was only the latest in a series of political battles faced by Akpoti-Uduaghan. On 6 March, the Senate suspended her for six months, citing alleged misconduct during a plenary session and her refusal to comply with seating arrangements.
Her suspension came with heavy penalties:
- Her official office at the National Assembly was shut down.
- All security aides assigned to her were withdrawn.
- She was banned from presenting herself as a senator in Nigeria and internationally.
- Her salary and allowances were frozen.
The Senate, however, left a door open for her return—provided she submits a formal written apology.
Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Senate President Akpabio
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s ordeal took a dramatic turn when she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment. She claimed that her suspension was politically motivated and an attempt to silence her after she spoke out against him.
Akpabio denied the allegations, while the Senate refused to entertain her petition on the grounds that a sitting senator could not file such a complaint. Days later, another petition, this time signed by a “concerned Nigerian citizen,” accused Akpabio of not only sexual harassment but also abuse of office and obstruction of legislative duties.
Determined to seek justice, Akpoti-Uduaghan took her case to the global stage. On 11 March, she presented her complaint to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at the United Nations headquarters in New York, arguing that her suspension was unlawful and intended to suppress her voice.
Outrage Over Lack of Representation
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension sparked outrage among some of her constituents, who expressed concern over being left without a representative in the Senate for six months. Many argued that her absence would leave Kogi Central politically disadvantaged, with no one to push their interests at the federal level.
Is a Legislative Recall Even Possible in Nigeria?
While Nigeria’s constitution grants voters the right to recall their elected representatives, history suggests that the process is virtually impossible. Since the country’s return to democracy in 1999, no senator or House of Representatives member has ever been successfully recalled.
At least six attempts have been made in the past, all of which failed.
- In 2016, efforts to recall Borno South Senator Ali Ndume collapsed after his loyalists resisted the move.
- In 2018, a recall petition against Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye flopped when INEC’s verification process found that only 18,742 out of 189,870 signatories were valid.
- Other failed recall attempts targeted lawmakers like Farouk Lawan, Abdulmumin Jibrin, Datti Mohammed, and Chris Ngige, all of whom survived the process due to legal and political hurdles.
With INEC’s ruling, the recall attempt against Akpoti-Uduaghan is now officially dead. However, the senator remains at the centre of political drama, from her suspension to her accusations against Senate President Akpabio.
Her battle is far from over—will she fight to reclaim her Senate seat, or will political forces continue to work against her? One thing is certain: this is not the last we’ll hear of Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
