INEC Clarifies Allegations Of Bias In Kogi Central Senator Recall Case

INEC Denies Accusations of Favoritism in Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Recall Case

Let me break it down for you. The Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC as we all know it, is standing firm against claims that they played favorites during the attempted recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central. These accusations have been swirling around, but INEC is here to set the record straight.

Just the other day, on Thursday, INEC made a bold move by rejecting the petition aimed at recalling Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan. The reason? Well, it’s simple. The petition didn’t meet the necessary legal requirements. Now, let’s dive into the details of why that decision was made.

Why the Petition Was Turned Down

According to INEC, the petition to remove Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan simply didn’t check all the necessary boxes under the law. To give you some context, INEC's Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, explained the whole process during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today show. He took the time to clarify the situation and reassure the public that there was no funny business going on.

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Here's what Rotimi had to say: “In the Kogi Central case, we received a petition along with a cover letter. Now, people were quick to jump to conclusions, saying we were taking sides. But let me explain something important here. The representatives who filed the petition failed to include their addresses in the cover letter, which is actually required by our guidelines and regulations. All we did was ask them to provide their addresses. It’s as simple as that. There’s nothing in the law that says INEC should reject a petition outright just because the cover letter lacks an address. So, there was absolutely no under-the-table dealings in this process.”

This explanation paints a clearer picture of why INEC took the stance they did. It wasn’t about favoritism—it was about following the rules laid out in the law.

Can the Recall Process Be Repeated?

Now, you might be wondering, can the recall process be done again? That’s a question a lot of people are asking. INEC’s spokesperson addressed that very concern. The law, as it stands, doesn’t specify how many times the recall process can be attempted. However, there is a clear threshold that must be met if you want to initiate a recall. And what’s that threshold? Simple: you need more than 50% of the registered voters in the district to sign the petition.

Rotimi Oyekanmi elaborated on this point: “The law just outlines the threshold. If you’re looking to recall a senator, you have to gather signatures from 50% of the registered voters, plus one more. But beyond that, the law doesn’t tell us how many times you can try to do this. It’s not spelled out.”

So, while there’s room for another attempt, the petitioners will have to ensure they meet all the necessary legal requirements next time around. This includes making sure every little detail, like the addresses in the cover letter, is in order. It’s all about following the rules to the letter, folks.