The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that the petitioners seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti, a lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, have failed to provide verifiable contact addresses in their submission.
In a statement issued by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee on Tuesday, INEC revealed that it had reviewed the petition as part of its weekly meeting and identified a key deficiency in the document submitted.
The petitioners, who claim to have gathered signatures from more than half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district, did not furnish specific contact details in their cover letter.
According to INEC, the provided address—”Okene, Kogi State”—is too vague to facilitate communication with the petitioners.
The commission also noted that only the lead petitioner’s telephone number was supplied, rather than the contact details of all designated representatives as required by Clause 1(f) of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
“The Commission wishes to reiterate that the recall of a legislator is the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency who sign a petition indicating loss of confidence in the legislator representing them. Once the petition meets the requirements of submission, as contained in our regulations, the Commission shall commence the verification of the signatures in each Polling Unit in an open process restricted to registered voters that signed the petition only,” the statement read in part.
The recall petition, which includes six bags of documents reportedly containing signatures, originated from voters across the five local government areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.
The electoral empire stressed that the process cannot advance until the petitioners comply fully with the stipulated guidelines.
While INEC did not specify the reasons behind the recall petition, the push had intensified with the Kogi Central Women Development Association accusing the suspended senator of conduct unbecoming of a representative of the people.
Beyond local grievances, the recall effort is also seen as part of a larger political battle between Natasha and the President of the Red Chamber.
Last week, the group criticised the female senator for refusing to apologise to the Senate, stating that her decision to escalate the matter globally instead of addressing it through proper legal channels reflected a disregard for the people who elected her.
Tensions between the two lawmakers escalated after Natasha was reportedly reassigned to a new seat in the Senate chamber, a move she interpreted as a deliberate attempt to undermine her.
The dispute took a dramatic turn when Natasha accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, an allegation that sparked national controversy and led to divisions within the Senate.
The rift deepened further when the Senate, suspended Natasha fueling widespread criticism, with civil society organizations and opposition figures decrying the move as politically motivated.
In response, Natasha escalated the matter to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) – an international organisation that monitors issues of parliamentary rights and gender equality – seeking international intervention.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker dismissed the recall effort, attributing it to political sponsorship rather than genuine dissatisfaction among her constituents.
In an interview with Sky News, the embattled lawmaker insisted that the Senate President made persistent advances toward her for over a year.
Observers believe that the lawmaker’s stance against Akpabio, a powerful political figure, may have contributed to the push for her recall.
The political fallout deepened the rift between her and key figures in the ruling party, with some suggesting that the recall petition was a politically motivated attempt to silence her.
However, Natasha’s supporters argue that she is being targeted for speaking out against injustice, framing the recall effort as a test of democratic resilience.
