Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for dismissing a petition seeking her recall as the representative of Kogi Central Senatorial District.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, she argued that the electoral body should have rejected the petition much earlier than its eventual decision on 3 April 2025.

“I am a lawyer and a senator, and I understand the workings of Nigeria. For me, the most significant point is that this recall process has been halted.

“I commend INEC, although I believe they should have dismissed the petition from the outset. In my view, it was void ab initio because the Electoral Act does not state that a petition should be discarded solely due to the absence of an address. However, what if the addresses provided are false?” she said.

RELATED STORY: INEC Rejects Petition to Recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain asserted that many of the addresses listed in the petition were inaccurate, as most houses in her district lack proper identification.

“Even though INEC recorded 208,000 signatures, I am confident that had they proceeded to the verification stage, they would have struggled to get even 500 individuals to confirm their participation,” she added.

Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, and former governor Yahaya Bello of orchestrating the recall attempt against her.

INEC, in a much-anticipated statement on Thursday, declared that the petition for the senator’s recall failed to meet the requirements of Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“Therefore, no further action shall be taken on the recall of the senator,” INEC announced.

INEC spokesperson Rotimi Oyekanmi, who also appeared on Politics Today, reiterated that the petition did not fulfil the necessary conditions for a recall process. He stressed that the commission acted professionally and impartially throughout the process.

Earlier, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal counsel, Victor Giwa, alleged that the Kogi State Government had sponsored the recall attempt, with Governor Ododo’s aide, Charity Omole, playing a leading role.

On 24 March 2025, Omole led a group of constituents from Kogi Central to submit the recall petition to INEC.

The senator has been embroiled in a seat allocation dispute with Senate President Akpabio. She also accused him of sexual harassment and abuse of office, leading to her six-month suspension from the Senate for alleged misconduct.