The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has addressed the petition seeking the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, highlighting procedural gaps that may delay the process.
During its weekly meeting on Tuesday, the Commission examined the petition, which was submitted with six bags of documents allegedly containing signatures of over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the senatorial district.
The petition covers 902 polling units across five local government areas: Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.
However, INEC noted that the petitioners failed to provide complete contact details as required by its Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024.
The covering letter only listed “Okene, Kogi State” as the petitioners’ address and included just the telephone number of the lead petitioner, omitting details of other representatives.
Clause 1(f) of INEC’s guidelines mandates that petitioners submit a valid contact address, phone numbers, and email addresses for effective communication.
The Commission stated that without full compliance, it cannot proceed with the next steps, including signature verification.
INEC emphasized that the recall process is strictly governed by the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and its guidelines. If the petition meets all requirements, the Commission will verify the signatures using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in an open process involving petitioners, the Senator’s representatives, observers, and the media.
Efforts are underway to notify the petitioners of the missing details through alternative means. INEC urged the public to disregard social media speculation, reaffirming its commitment to due process.
Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, assured stakeholders that the Commission would act in accordance with the law.