Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
Di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) say dem don write Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan to tell her about di process to recall her from di senate.
For one statement on Wednesday, Sam Olumekun, di Inec tok-tok pesin say dem don receive di contact address, emails and phone numbers of more dan 250,000 registered voters from Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan constituency wey sign di letter of recall.
Remember say Inec bin announce on Tuesday say di initial letter of recall no get di contacts of di petitioners and so dem no go fit carry on wit di process, but Olumekun say dem don receive di missing details and di process go now move to di next stage.
“We don write letter to di Senator for her official address to notify her say we don receive di petition to recall her. We don also copy di same letter to di presiding officer of di Senate and also publish am for di Commission website,” di statement tok.
“Di next step na to scrutinise di list of signatories wey di petitioners submit, to make sure say dem dey signed by more dan fifty percent of di registered voters for di Constituency.”
Olumekun tok say dis next step go determine how di process go progress, and evri outcome go dey public.
Akpoti-Uduaghan battle to di senate
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a member of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), dey represent Kogi Central Senatorial District, and her journey to di senate na thru plenty legal battles wey she win las las.
Afta di senatorial election wey happen in February 2023, Inec bin declare Abubakar Ohere of di All Progressives Congress (APC) winner wit 52,132 votes while Akpoti-Uduaghan get 51,763 votes.
But Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan reject di result and she take di matter to di election petitions tribunal, wia Justice K. A. Orjiako – di chairman of di panel, cancel di result wey Inec bin announce and declare her as winner.
Di tribunal say dem find out dat say di APC candidate Ohere bin inflate im result for nine polling units for Ajaokuta Local Goment Area.
Ohere later carry di matter go to di Court of Appeal, wey be di final court of decision for legislative elections, and on 31 October, 2023, di appeal court also return Akpoti-Uduaghan as winner.
Dem swear her in on 2 November, 2023.
Why her constituents wan recall her?
Dis recall process for Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan start since she start to dey accuse di Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harrasment.
She don grant interviews including one wit di BBC, wia she insist say di Akpabio sexually harass her many times.
Senator Akpabio don deny di allegations.
Mrs Akpoti Uduaghan currently dey suspended from di senate for six months afta her fellow senators find her guilty of disobeying dia standing rules.
Di recall petition wey some pipo from Kogi Central Senatorial District write to Inec against Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan no mention anything about di sexual harassment matter, however, dem say her behaviour “dey embarrass di pipo of Kogi Central” and also “dey spoil di integrity of di Nigerian Senate”.
Sake of dis, di petitioners say dem no longer get confidence on her and dem no want her to continue to dey represent dem.
Steps to recall a senator
Di recall process get three stages:
.Submission of petition to di Inec Chairman, wey more dan 50% of di registered voters for di constituency go sign to withdraw di lawmaker
.Verification
.Referendum
As tins be now for Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan case, step one don dey complete as Inec say dem don receive di petition and e dey signed by more dan half of di registered voters for Kogi Central.
Inec go now verify di pipo wey claim say na dem sign di petition, and di verification fit be by calling dem on phone, sending dem emails, or visiting di address wey dem write.
Afta dat, Inec go organise something like election wia di pipo go come vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ weda to recall di senator. If di ‘yes’ pass di ‘no’, di senator go comot from di senate and Inec go organise by-election for di pipo to chose anoda pesin wey go represent dem.
