To uphold transparency and due process, stakeholders in Nigeria’s democratic process have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to release the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the initial recall petition against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Peoples Democratic Party, Kogi Central) before entertaining any new submission.
INEC had earlier dismissed a petition from some constituents seeking to recall the senator, citing failure to meet the necessary legal requirements. However, reports indicate that a fresh petition has since been submitted to the Commission with the aim of reigniting the recall process.
In a joint letter addressed to INEC, Anthony Ubani, Executive Director of #FixPolitics Africa, and Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, stressed the need for procedural fairness. They urged the Commission not to act on any new petition until the senator has officially received a copy of the initial one.
“Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has formally requested the CTC of the recall petition filed against her,” the letter read. “Following INEC’s announcement that the initial petition failed to meet the threshold, we understand the petitioners are gathering additional signatures with plans to resubmit. However, due process demands that the senator be furnished with the CTC of the first petition before any subsequent petition is considered.”
The statement also noted that allegations of forged signatures could only be properly investigated by law enforcement agencies, and that the actual level of public support for the recall would only be determined during field verification.
Joining the call for transparency are other civic groups including the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE).
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Investigations reveal that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has already submitted a formal request and paid the required fees for the CTC. However, as of the time of reporting, INEC had yet to release the document to her.
The stakeholders emphasised that INEC must act in accordance with both the letter and spirit of the law to preserve the integrity of the democratic process.
