- Safiu Kehinde
In the wake of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) rejection of their petition, constituents of Kogi Central Senatorial District have vowed to fine-tune the petition to achieve the recall of suspended lawmaker representing the District, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The constituents, under the aegis of Concerned Kogi Youths and Women, had filed the petition for Natasha’s recall over her six-month suspension from the Senate for gross misconduct.
However, the petition, which was initially rejected by INEC over absence of the contact of voters’ who signed it, was again rejected on Thursday over failure to meet requirements.
According to INEC, the petition was signed by 208,132 voters out of the 474,554 total number of voters across the Senatorial District.
This amounted to 43.86 percent as against the required 50 percent plus one threshold.
While expressing their gratitude to INEC for its effort in the recall process in a statement issued on Thursday, the constituents noted that they had mobilised more than the 50 per cent plus one threshold of registered voters and submitted their petition with full documentation.
They however maintained that the validation of 43.86 per cent by the Commission still confirmed that Kogi Central constituents had abandoned the embattled Senator.
The constituents claimed INEC canceled not less than 35,000 signatures at the administrative stage.
In the statement signed by Salihu Habib, on behalf of the petitioners, the constituents insisted that there was no going back on their resolve to bring the Kogi Senator back home.
“We will liaise with INEC within the full ambits of the Constitution and regulations to demand for transparency in the handling of our petition. We have utmost confidence in the Commission not to subject the recall process to ambiguity or administrative opacity,” the constituents said.
They expressed their gratitude to INEC for proving naysayers, who queried the authenticity of their figures, wrong.
“We thank INEC for making it clear that the bulk of the people of Kogi Central are behind us and that we did not import a crowd like a desperate, embattled lawmaker,” they said.
The petitioners insisted that the recall of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan “for misconduct and divisiveness” was non-negotiable.
They said, “We are firm in our resolve to restore dignified and collaborative representation to Kogi Central Senatorial District. We will no longer indulge someone who will do and say anything just to remain politically relevant.
“The whole of Nigeria watched her deceptive rally last Tuesday where she openly made comments capable of setting, not just Kogi State, but Nigeria ablaze.
“How can any patriotic Nigerian accuse other parts of the country of sabotaging Kogi State/the North because LNG plants are sited here? How can a responsible Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria try to pitch the North against the South?
“We will pursue all lawful and constitutional means to ensure our voices are heard and respected. After God, power belongs to the people,” the constituents declared.