The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared that the petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District has failed to meet the constitutional threshold required for further action.
This announcement was made following INEC’s regular weekly meeting on Thursday, April 3, 2025, during which the Commission considered and approved the report of its physical count of the signatures and thumbprints submitted alongside the recall petition. The process was conducted in accordance with Clause 2(b) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
INEC reiterated its commitment to fairness and due process in handling the matter. The Commission outlined the steps taken in reviewing the petition, which included:
- Verification of Compliance: Ensuring that the petitioners met the initial submission requirements.
- Notification Process: Officially informing the Senator in question, the presiding officer of the Senate, and the general public via the INEC website.
- Signature Verification: Conducting a meticulous review of the submitted signatures and thumbprints to determine if they met the constitutional requirement.
According to Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), a recall petition must be signed by at least more than one-half of the total registered voters in the affected senatorial district. For Kogi Central, this means at least 237,278 valid signatures out of the 474,554 registered voters.
Following its review, INEC confirmed that the number of verified signatures/thumbprints stood at 208,132, representing 43.86% of registered voters. This figure falls 29,146 signatures short of the constitutional requirement.
As a result, the recall process will not proceed further, and the petition is deemed invalid.
In accordance with Clause 2(d) of the Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, INEC has issued a Public Notice on this outcome. The notice, along with a detailed breakdown of the review process by Local Government Areas, has been made available on the Commission’s website and official social media platforms for public scrutiny.
