INEC identifies procedural gaps in recall petition of Senator Natasha

By Kunle Sanni

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised concerns over procedural gaps in the petition seeking to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.

Following its weekly meeting on Tuesday, INEC confirmed that it had received a petition accompanied by six bags of documents, purportedly containing signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district.

The recall petition, covering 902 polling units across 57 registration areas in Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene local government areas, is currently under review by the Commission.

However, INEC noted a critical omission in the submission, stating that the petitioners failed to provide their contact address, telephone numbers, and email addresses as required under Clause 1(f) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024. The only contact information provided was the telephone number of the “lead petitioner,” while the address was vaguely listed as “Okene, Kogi State,” which INEC deemed insufficient for formal communication.

In a statement signed on Tuesday by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC reiterated that the recall process is strictly guided by constitutional provisions, the Electoral Act 2022, and its regulations.

The Commission assured that if the petition meets all submission requirements, a verification process using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would commence in an open manner.

INEC urged petitioners to comply fully with its guidelines to facilitate the process. It also stated that efforts were being made to reach out to the petitioners through alternative means.

The Commission reassured the public of its commitment to due process and urged citizens to disregard any misleading social media reports regarding the petition.