Ex-INEC official likens recalling lawmaker to conducting three elections
Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has claimed that the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, initiated her recall process using fake constituents.
Supporters from Kogi Central’s five local council areas had, on Tuesday, gathered in Ihima in Okehi Local Council Area to welcome the PDP lawmaker.
Natasha received a rousing welcome from supporters despite a government ban on rallies and processions.
The senator, in a statement issued yesterday, challenged Bello to tell the world where he manufactured the names of the fake constituents calling for her recall.
She stated: “All available evidence and facts point directly to Bello as the mastermind behind the recall move.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan cited Bello’s past actions before and during the 2023 General Elections when he was accused of orchestrating multiple attacks against her, then as a candidate.
The senator described the recall attempt as a continuation of Bello’s political vendetta against her person.
“I will advise the former governor to rather focus on clearing his name over allegations of fraudulent diversion of N89.2 billion, instead of attempting to destabilise the mandate given to me by the people of Kogi Central.
“The former governor’s hands are already full with corruption allegations, yet he is still bent on frustrating the will of the people.
“His actions before and during the last general elections, where he sponsored numerous attacks against me, are well documented. This recall attempt is nothing but another ploy to undermine the people’s will,”
MEANWHILE, a former Director of Voter Education at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, has said a recall process for lawmakers is akin to conducting three elections.
Osaze-Uzzi spoke on an Arise TV programme, yesterday.
“Money is necessary for all processes. It can be the corruptive influence of money that we were talking about. INEC will spend a lot because if it goes through the whole process, it is akin to conducting three elections,” he said.
He explained that the process begins with the verification of signatures, which must be done at the polling unit level.
“Verification officers have to go to the field, verify signatures, and all those who endorsed the petition must be present. It requires mobilization, printing materials, deploying personnel, and setting up logistics, which costs money,” Osaze-Uzzi added.
The ex-INEC official noted that voter turnout in Nigeria rarely exceeded 50 per cent, adding to the complexity of the recall process.
“People have to come forward to confirm their signatures, which requires further mobilisation. INEC will mobilise, the legislator being recalled will mobilise, and petitioners will also mobilise. And at the end of it all, INEC will have to demobilise, again, that’s money,” he said.
