INEC Confirms Receipt of Corrected Recall Petition Against Kogi Senator

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially notified Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate President Godswill Akpabio about the correction of contact details submitted in a recall petition against the Kogi Central lawmaker. This development follows an amendment by constituents to address initial errors in the petition.

In a statement issued Wednesday by National Commissioner Sam Olumekun, INEC confirmed receiving updated contact information—including phone numbers and email addresses—from the petitioners’ representatives. The corrected details were submitted to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu after the commission flagged the omission in its Tuesday announcement, which noted the petitioners’ failure to provide mandatory information under the 2024 Recall Guidelines.

The electoral body has since dispatched an official notification letter to Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan at her verified address, with copies sent to the Senate President and published on INEC’s website. The next phase involves verifying whether the petition bears signatures of over 50% of registered voters in Kogi Central—a threshold that would trigger formal recall proceedings. INEC pledged transparency throughout the process, with results of the verification to be made public.

The petition, received by INEC on Monday and spearheaded by constituent representative Charity Ijese, cites “loss of confidence” in the senator over allegations of misconduct and abuse of office. It emerges amid ongoing tensions between Akpoti-Uduaghan and Senate leadership, including her March 6 suspension for alleged misconduct and prior sexual harassment accusations against Akpabio.

Meanwhile, a separate controversy erupted during Senate hearings on the harassment allegations, where Ebonyi North Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi clashed verbally with former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili. The confrontation, which saw Nwebonyi rebuke Ezekwesili for telling him to “shut up,” has sparked debates about parliamentary decorum and gender dynamics in politics. While Nwebonyi defended his reaction as justified response to disrespect, Ezekwesili framed the incident as emblematic of systemic challenges women face in male-dominated institutions.

INEC’s handling of the recall petition and the unfolding political drama continue to draw national attention, with outcomes likely to influence both Kogi’s political landscape and broader conversations about accountability in Nigeria’s democracy.