INEC: Recall Elections Costlier Than Senatorial Polls

• The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to following legal guidelines in the event of a recall.
• Prof. Mohammed Kuna explained that a recall election involves extensive staff mobilization, technology, recall material deployments, and transportation.
• INEC says it has confirmed the receipt of a petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has outlined the intricate processes and significant costs associated with conducting recall elections, comparing them to organizing a full election, Eko Hot Blog reports.

During a discussion on “INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024. BVAS and IREV: Facts and Myths” via X Spaces on Saturday, INEC emphasized the substantial resources required for the recall process.

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Special Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mohammed Kuna, explained that a recall election involves extensive staff mobilization, technology, recall material deployments, and transportation.

As a result, conducting a recall election is more expensive than a senatorial election, requiring efforts equivalent to holding three senatorial elections.

“A recall process is like conducting an election itself. It has to do with mobilisation of staff, deployments of recall materials, technologies, transportation, among others.

“A recall process is like conducting three senatorial district elections because we will go back to the field three times. It is more expensive than conducting a senatorial election.”

Also, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to following legal guidelines in the event of a recall.

“If constituents express the desire for a recall and fulfill the necessary requirements, we will proceed accordingly,” Oyekanmi said.

He stated that the commission would organize a by-election in the event of a vacancy in the National Assembly, provided they are informed by the Presiding Officers.

Oyekanmi addressed concerns about financial implications by confirming that INEC has made provisions for various scenarios, including by-elections.

“We prepare for all situations, as we are aware of the unpredictability of electoral events,” he stated, ensuring that the Commission is ready for any developments.

INEC says it has confirmed the receipt of a petition seeking the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District.

Presented by Charity Ijese on behalf of the constituents, the petition was received and acknowledged by INEC’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on Monday at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

This development follows a series of contentious events involving Akpoti-Uduaghan, including her suspension from the Senate on March 6 for alleged “gross misconduct” after a dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Prior to her suspension, Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Akpabio of s£xual harassment.

The constituents behind the recall petition claim to have met the constitutional requirements for the process, with over 200,000 registered voters—more than half of the district’s electorate—having signed the petition.

INEC further confirmed the submission of a letter containing the telephone numbers, email addresses, and other contact information of the petitioners’ representatives to the Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

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The next phase in the recall process will involve INEC verifying whether the petition has been endorsed by more than 50 percent of the registered voters in Kogi Central, ensuring the validity of the petition before any further action is taken.

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