Why Inec troway petition to recall senator Natasha Akpoti
Wia dis foto come from, Inec/X, Natasha Akpoti/X
Di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) say dem don stop di recall process of senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Di electoral body say di petition for di recall of di senator wey dey represent Kogi Central Senatorial District fail to meet di requirement of Section 69(a) of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
Inec announce dis informate on Thursday, 3 April on dia X account.
Dis informate dey come nearly one week afta di commission tok say dem don accept di petition, and dem go go ahead to di verification stage.
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Meanwhile, Senator Natasha don react to di decision of Inec not to go ahead wit her recall process.
Natasha on her X account post say "One battle down, two more to go. She dey refer to her suspension from di senate and di sexual harassment case she get wit di senate president, Godswill Akpabio.
Di senator add say dis na victory for di pipo and she express her gratitude to di pipo of Kogi central, and Nigerians in total.
Why Inec cancel di recall process
Inec tok say di main reason dem cancel di recall na bicos di signatures wey di petitioners submit no reach di amount wey dey required by di law.
Di commission say according to Section 69(a) of di constitution, petition to recall a senator go need di signatures of more dan one-half of di registered voters for di constituency.
Dem say di total number of registered voters for Kogi Central Senatorial District na 474,554. More dan one and half of dis number (i.e. 50%+1) na 237,277+1 wey go be at least 237,278 voters.
Meanwhile di petitioners submit 208,132 signatures/thumbprints wey translate to 43.86% of di registered voters, and e fall short of di constitutional requirement by 29,146 signatories, Inec add.
Di electoral body tok say sake of dat, dem no go take any action again on di recall of di senator.
Na on 24 March, one group wey call themselves "Concerned Kogi Youths and Women" submit di petition for di recall of di suspended lawmaker give Inec for di commission headquarters for Abuja, Nigeria capital.
Omole Ijese wey speak on behalf of di group tok say, more dan 250,000 registered voters out of di 488,000 voters from Kogi central senatorial district sign for di recall of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan wey dey in di middle of one controversy wia she accuse di Senate President, Godswill Akpabio of sexually harassing her.
Di representatives of di constituents bin write for di petition say, "In particular, dis petition for di recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan na according to Section 69 of di 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Recall Petitions."
Dem say di petition dey come as dem don lose confidence for Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan representation for di National Assembly, even though she get di seat through one Appeal Court decision for October 2023.
Dem list gross misconduct, abuse of office, evasion of due process as part of di reasons why dem no want her again.
