The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has turned down the petition to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, stating that it did not achieve the necessary threshold of signatures from registered voters.
In a statement issued on Thursday, INEC revealed that after performing a physical verification of the signatures and thumbprints submitted by the petitioners, only 208,132 signatures were validated. This accounts for 43.86% of the total 474,554 registered voters in the senatorial district, which is below the constitutional requirement of 237,278 signatures (50%+1).
The recall procedure, governed by Section 69(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), stipulates that more than half of the registered voters in a senatorial district must support a recall petition before any further steps can be taken. Since the submitted signatures fell short by 29,146, INEC has confirmed that there will be no additional action regarding this issue.
“The Commission assured Nigerians that the process would be conducted fairly for all involved and in accordance with legal standards. After the verification process, the petition does not fulfill the constitutional requirement, therefore, the recall initiative is concluded,” the statement, signed by National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, stated in part.
INEC indicated that the verification process encompassed all 902 polling units across 57 Registration Areas in the five Local Government Areas of Kogi Central. It also mentioned that a public notice has been released regarding this decision, and detailed results of the verification are accessible on its website and social media channels.
This outcome concludes the recall process, representing a notable political event in Kogi Central. Analysts observe that the unsuccessful recall effort highlights the difficulties associated with mobilizing enough voters to satisfy the strict constitutional requirements for such actions.
PRESS RELEASE
RESULTS OF THE REVIEW OF SIGNATURES/THUMBPRINTS SUBMITTED BY PETITIONERS FOR THE RECALL OF THE SENATOR REPRESENTING KOGI CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT
Today, Thursday, April 3, 2025, the Commission convened its regular weekly meeting. Among various discussions, the meeting reviewed and approved the findings from the physical count of signatures/thumbprints submitted with the petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, in accordance with Clause 2(b) of the 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall.
The Commission has previously assured Nigerians that it would approach this matter with impartiality toward all parties and in accordance with legal provisions and our established Regulations and Guidelines. Firstly, we verified that the petitioners adhered to the submission requirements of the petition. Secondly, we provided written notice to the Senator being petitioned for recall, copied the presiding officer of the Senate, and simultaneously published the notification on our website. Thirdly, we informed the public that our next step would involve carefully verifying the number of signatures/thumbprints to confirm compliance with legal requirements. This process has now been finalized.
To clarify, a petition to recall a Senator must fulfill the stipulations outlined in Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which necessitates signatures from more than half of the registered voters in the relevant constituency. The total registered voter count within the Kogi Central Senatorial District stands at 474,554. Therefore, more than half of this figure (i.e., 50%+1) amounts to 237,277+1, which is at least 237,278 voters.
Across the 902 polling units within 57 registration areas and five local government areas that encompass the Senatorial District, the Commission verified 208,132 signatures/thumbprints from the petitioners’ submission. This represents 43.86% of the registered voters, falling short of the constitutional threshold by 29,146 signatures.
As a result, the petition does not meet the criteria established in Section 69(a) of the Constitution. Consequently, no additional steps will be taken regarding the recall of the Senator.
In accordance with Clause 2(d) of the 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall, the Commission has released a Public Notice reflecting this conclusion, which is also being sent to the presiding officer of the Senate.
The Public Notice, along with a summary of the review of the signatures/thumbprints submitted by the petitioners, broken down by Local Government Areas, can be accessed on our website and social media platforms for public information.
Sam Olumekun
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee
Thursday, April 3, 2025
