We’re not partisan in failed recall of Akpoti-Uduaghan – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has denied being partisan in handling the failed recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Speaking on Channels TV Politics Today on Thursday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Rotimi Oyekanmi, explained how the Commission handled the process, saying “In the case of the Kogi Central District, we received a petition and a cover letter and of course what Nigerians were saying was that we were taking sides,”.

He continued “But what happened was that in the covering letter, the representatives of the petitioners did not include their address as required in our regulations and guidelines and what we just did was to ask them to supply their address, it has nothing to do with the petition.

“And of course, there is nowhere in the law where INEC is asked to reject a petition just because the cover letter did not contain the address. So, there was no hanky-panky in what we did.”

Earlier on Thursday, the electoral body announced its rejection of the recall petition against Akpoti-Uduaghan, saying it has not meet the constitutional requirements.

Akpoti-Uduaghan who applauded the INEC for the rejection, said the petition should have been thrown out long ago before April 3.