Published on: April 3, 2025
Content:
By Juliet Umeh
Former Director of Voter Education at the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, has said a recall process for lawmakers in the country was akin to conducting three elections.
Osaze-Uzzi, who stated this on Arise TV programme, News Night, late Tuesday night, said: “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 explained that the process begins with the verification of signatures, which must be done at the polling unit level.
He said after this, verification officers have to go to the field, verify signatures, adding that all those who endorsed the petition must be present.
According to him, it requires mobilisation, including printing materials, deploying personnel, and setting up logistics, which costs money.
The former INEC official noted that voter turnout in Nigeria rarely exceeded 50 per cent which, according to him, adds 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.
“Both the petitioners and the legislator will have to spend a significant amount. And, of course, there’s the underhand money, bribery, what we call vote-buying, it happens even in a recall referendum.”
Recall that INEC, on March 26, notified Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the senator representing Kogi central, of the petition by constituents seeking her recall from the National Assembly.
Akpoti-Uduaghan recently accused Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of sexually harassing her.
The allegation came in the wake of her seating arrangement altercation with Akpabio.
She was subsequently suspended from the Senate for six months for “gross misconduct” over the incident.
The constituents behind the recall move accused her of “gross misconduct, abuse of office, and deceitful behaviour”.
The senator has since denied any wrongdoing, describing the recall effort as a “coordinated suppression” of her voice.
No Nigerian lawmaker has been successfully recalled since the commencement of the fourth republic in 1999.
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