A civic rights group, Grassroots Centre for Rights & Civic Orientation, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to be extra vigilant in verifying signatures collected for the recall of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, in Abuja, the group’s Executive Director, Armsfree Ajanaku, raised concerns about alleged fraudulent practices in the recall process. He warned that desperate political actors were using underhand tactics, including deception and forged signatures, to push for the senator’s removal.
“Many constituents were deceived into signing the petition under the guise of receiving empowerment and palliatives. Some political actors have also been caught compiling fake signatures in their living rooms,” Ajanaku said.
He urged INEC to ensure the verification process is transparent, warning that accepting fraudulent signatures would undermine the credibility of the exercise.
“The process must be open to all stakeholders, including the media, civil society groups, and security agencies. Any leader caught submitting forged signatures should face investigation, prosecution, and public shaming,” he added.
Citing Section 69 of the 1999 Constitution and INEC’s recall guidelines, the group emphasized that only validly registered voters in Kogi Central should be counted in the petition.
Grassroots Centre’s statement comes as INEC moves to verify the submitted signatures to determine whether they meet the legal threshold for a recall.
