The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has turned down a petition seeking to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District.

INEC made this announcement after its regular weekly meeting on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. According to the Commission, the petition did not meet legal requirements because the petitioners failed to provide complete contact details.

The petitioners submitted six bags of documents, claiming they contained signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district. However, INEC noted that the submission lacked full contact information for the petitioners’ representatives.

The only address given was “Okene, Kogi State,” which is too vague to reach them. Additionally, only one phone number was provided—that of the lead petitioner—while the others were missing. This goes against Clause 1(f) of INEC’s 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall.

INEC emphasized that the recall process follows the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and its own guidelines. For a recall petition to proceed, INEC must verify the submitted signatures using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in polling units. Both the petitioners and the senator can assign agents to monitor the verification process.

Since the petitioners did not meet the submission requirements, INEC will try alternative ways to notify them. The Commission also assured the public that it remains committed to a fair and transparent recall process.

INEC urged the public to ignore any false information circulating on social media about the matter.