By Caroline Ameh
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has acknowledged receiving a petition seeking the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
In a statement released on Thursday by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC confirmed that the petition was submitted alongside six bags of documents, reportedly containing signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district. These voters are spread across 902 polling units in 57 registration areas within the five local government areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.
However, INEC noted a critical omission in the petition. The representatives of the petitioners failed to provide a valid contact address, telephone numbers, and email addresses as required by Clause 1(f) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024. The only contact information provided was a general location, “Okene, Kogi State,” along with a single telephone number for the lead petitioner, instead of contact details for all representatives.
INEC emphasized that the recall process is a constitutional right of registered voters who have lost confidence in their elected representative. If the petition meets the necessary submission requirements, the Commission will proceed with verifying the signatures in an open and transparent process, restricted to registered voters who signed the petition. The verification will be conducted using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), with representatives of both the petitioners and the senator allowed to observe the process. Accredited observers and the media will also be permitted to monitor proceedings.
The Commission urged the petitioners to rectify the deficiencies in their submission to enable the process to move forward. In the absence of a valid contact address, INEC stated that it is exploring alternative means of reaching the petitioners.
INEC reassured the public of its commitment to following due process and urged citizens to disregard any misleading speculations circulating on social media.
