Analysts Fault Natasha’s Recall

Poll analysts have faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the ongoing recall of the Kogi central senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Their position is premised on the inability of the commission to fund 16 pending by-elections into the National Assembly and vacancies in some state assemblies.

The pending by-elections are spread across 12 states where vacancies exist owing to the death of the occupants and where others withdrew for different reasons.

They cited two vacant seats in the Senate; Edo South, which was vacated by Senator Monday Okpebholo upon his election as Edo State governor.

The Anambra South senatorial seat also remains vacant since the death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in July 2024.

Similarly, there exist five vacant seats in the House of Representatives where four occupants representing various constituencies in Oyo, Kaduna, Jigawa and Ogun states died at different points in 2024 and 2025.

The deceased Reps whose seats are still vacant are Olaide Akinremi (Ibadan North, Oyo); Ekene Abubakar Adams (Chikun/Kajuru, Kaduna);
Isa Dogonyaro (Garki/Babura, Jigawa); and Oriyomi Adewunmi Onanuga (Ikenne/Sagamu/Remo North, Ogun).

Another seat in Ovia North/South Federal constituency was vacated by Rep Denis Idahosa who got elected as Edo State deputy governor.

There are also nine vacant state assembly seats that have not been filled because INEC said it could not mobilise funds to conduct by-elections into them.

Commenting on the development, one of the poll analysts, Daniel Ogbebor, described INEC’s ongoing recall process of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan as a misplaced priority.

“This is an electoral body that cannot raise funds to conduct by-elections into 16 vacant seats in the Senate, House of Representatives and some state assemblies. Note that some of these by-elections are even long overdue.

“But the same electoral body can mobilise funds to recall a senator hours after it received a so called petition to commence a recall process. So where is the funding of the recall coming from?

“It’s quite unfortunate that an electoral umpire that is required to maintain neutrality is acting in ways that suggest they are being influenced by certain political forces,” Ogbebor said.

THE WHISTLER had reported that INEC had initially faulted Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s recall, citing procedural flaws relating to the details about the information provided the petitioners.

In a curious twist, however, the Commission, barely 24 hours later, annouced that the petitioners had corrected the flaws in their petition.

Also, several individuals and groups have faulted how the petitioners could raise 250, 000 signatures within 24 hours, whereas the total number of votes recorded in the entire senatorial district in the 2023 election was less than half the number of those that purportedly signed the petition.

Analysts Fault Natasha’s Recall is first published on The Whistler Newspaper