ABUJA — Amid renewed attempts to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi Central, civil society organisations and democratic stakeholders have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to uphold transparency by releasing the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the initial recall petition to the senator.
The call comes as fresh efforts reportedly emerge to file a second petition, following INEC’s earlier dismissal of the first attempt for failing to meet constitutional requirements. Concerned stakeholders are urging the electoral commission to ensure due process is followed before entertaining any subsequent submission.
In a joint letter addressed to INEC, the Executive Director of #FixPolitics Africa, Anthony Ubani, and Executive Director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, stressed the importance of procedural fairness. The letter emphasized that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan should be given access to the CTC of the dismissed petition before INEC proceeds with any new recall process.
“We understand that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has requested the CTC of the recall petition your office received against her,” the letter stated. “Also, following the commission’s announcement that the petition did not meet the threshold, the petitioners are collecting additional signatures and plan to resubmit the petition.”
Two prominent civil society groups—the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria—have backed the call, urging INEC to ensure transparency in its handling of the recall process. They warned that without clear communication and fairness, the legitimacy of the process could be undermined.
The stakeholders also raised concerns about the integrity of the petitioning process, noting reports of forged signatures allegedly used in the initial petition. They emphasized that such allegations fall under the jurisdiction of the police and must be investigated thoroughly to preserve the sanctity of Nigeria’s electoral procedures.
“The true nature of support for the recall process will only become apparent if the commission goes to the field for verification,” the letter noted, reinforcing calls for INEC to remain impartial and accountable in handling the politically sensitive situation.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, a vocal figure in Nigeria’s upper chamber, has yet to officially respond to the renewed recall efforts, but her allies have described the attempts as politically motivated.
As political tension continues to simmer in Kogi Central, the outcome of INEC’s next steps could set an important precedent for how recall processes are managed in the country moving forward.
