Politics |

March 26, 2025

March 26, 2025March 26, 2025 IFMNEWS

INEC: Petition to Recall Senator Natasha Fails to Meet Requirements

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has acknowledged receiving a petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from Kogi Central Senatorial District but has declared it incomplete due to unmet requirements. This was revealed in a statement issued on Tuesday by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee.

According to Olumekun, the petition was submitted with six bags of documents, purportedly containing signatures from over half of the 474,554 registered voters across 902 polling units in 57 wards spanning five local government areas: Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene. Despite the volume of documentation, INEC identified critical gaps in the submission.

Olumekun explained that the petition failed to fully comply with the commission’s regulations. “Once the petition meets the submission requirements outlined in our guidelines, the Commission will proceed with verifying the signatures in each polling unit,” he stated. He added that this verification would be an open process, limited exclusively to registered voters who signed the petition.

For now, INEC has put the recall process on hold, pending the petitioners’ fulfillment of the necessary conditions.

READ INEC’S FULL STATEMENT BELOW

INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION

PRESS RELEASE

PETITION FOR THE RECALL OF THE SENATOR REPRESENTING KOGI CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT

The Commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Tuesday 25th March 2025. Among other issues, the meeting discussed the petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.

The process of recall is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the Commission’s detailed Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, available on our website. All petitions will be treated in strict compliance with the legal framework.

The petition from Kogi Central Senatorial District was accompanied by six bags of documents said to be signatures collected from over half of the 474,554 registered voters spread across 902 Polling Units in 57 Registration Areas (Wards) in the five Local Government Areas of Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene.

The Commission’s immediate observation is that the representatives of the petitioners did not provide their contact address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es) in the covering letter forwarding the petition through which they can be contacted as provided in Clause 1(f) of our Regulations and Guidelines. The address given is “Okene, Kogi State”, which is not a definite location for contacting the petitioners. Only the telephone number of “the lead petitioner” is provided as against the numbers of all the other representatives of the petitioners.

The Commission wishes to reiterate that the recall of a legislator is the prerogative of registered voters in a constituency who sign a petition indicating loss of confidence in the legislator representing them. Once the petition meets the requirements of submission, as contained in our regulations, the Commission shall commence the verification of the signatures in each Polling Unit in an open process restricted to registered voters that signed the petition only. The petitioners and the member whose recall is sought shall be at liberty to nominate agents to observe the verification, while interested observers and the media will also be accredited. At each Polling Unit, signatories to the petition shall be verified using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

Consequently, if the petitioners fully comply with the requirements of Clause 1(f) of the Regulations and Guidelines regarding the submission of their petition, the Commission will announce the next steps in line with the extant laws, regulations and guidelines. In the absence of a definite contact address, the Commission is making efforts to use other means to notify the representatives of the petitioners of the situation.

The Commission reassures the public that it will be guided by the legal framework for recall. The public should therefore discountenance any speculations and insinuations in the social media.

Sam Olumekun mni
National Commissioner & Chairman
Information and Voter Education Committee
Tuesday, 25th March 2025

March 26, 2025

March 26, 2025March 26, 2025 IFMNEWS

Fubara Undermined Democracy, Says APC National Publicity Secretary Morka

Felix Morka, the National Publicity Secretary of the All-Progressives Congress (APC), has thrown his support behind President Bola Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, asserting that the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara, severely undermined democratic principles. The announcement came after 15 months of political turmoil in the oil-rich South-South state, culminating in the President’s nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

Invoking Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), President Tinubu declared the state of emergency, suspending Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial six-month period. The move has sparked widespread debate, with some questioning the President’s constitutional authority, while Morka has fiercely defended the action.

In an interview on Tuesday, Morka criticized opponents of the declaration, accusing them of political bias and a lack of objectivity. “Commentators are speaking from partisan corners rather than reason,” he said. “If they were truly impartial, they’d have invited me to discuss how Governor Fubara has been trampling on democracy. His actions were a direct assault on democratic norms.”

Morka pointed to Fubara’s early moves in office, including his alleged attempt to unseat the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, who was elected alongside him. When that effort failed, the governor demolished the Assembly complex, effectively halting legislative functions in the state. “Where were the opposition voices then?” Morka asked. “Peter Obi and others stayed silent as Fubara tried to dismantle the state legislature and froze all financial allocations.”

Backing the emergency declaration, Morka argued that President Tinubu acted within his constitutional powers under Section 305, which allows such measures when national security or governance is gravely threatened. He cited intelligence reports highlighting growing security risks in Rivers State, including the vandalism of the Trans Niger Pipeline, the country’s largest oil pipeline, as a key factor necessitating federal intervention.

Morka also emphasized that the decision was not made in isolation, noting that it received approval from a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly. “This isn’t an APC-only body—it’s a multi-party assembly representing all Nigerians. After reviewing the evidence, they endorsed the President’s action,” he said.

The suspension of Governor Fubara has drawn significant controversy, with critics, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), arguing that the Constitution’s Section 188 provides a specific process for removing a governor, which was bypassed. Morka countered that the President’s action was not a removal but a temporary suspension aimed at restoring stability. He referenced Section 5, Subsection 3 of the Constitution, which prohibits governors from exercising authority in ways that undermine the federal government.

Dismissing the backlash, Morka questioned why PDP governors and leaders remained silent during Fubara’s alleged transgressions, only speaking out after federal intervention. “They ignored the crisis for months, but now they challenge the solution,” he said, accusing them of selective outrage.

As Rivers State navigates this unprecedented political chapter, Morka’s defense underscores the APC’s stance that extraordinary measures were justified to safeguard democracy and security in the region.

March 25, 2025

March 25, 2025March 25, 2025 IFMNEWS

Labour Warns of Action Unless Rivers Emergency Rule Is Lifted

The Organised Labour has issued a stern rebuke of the state of emergency imposed on Rivers State, threatening to initiate actions that could disrupt Nigeria’s economic operations unless the decision is overturned promptly. This warning was outlined in a statement co-signed by Alex Agwanwor, Rivers State Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); Ikechukwu Onyefuru, State Chairperson of the Trade Union Congress (TUC); and Chuku Emecheta, Chairperson of the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC).

The unions expressed alarm over the federal government’s move, questioning its legality, economic fallout, and broader implications. They labeled the emergency declaration and the suspension of elected officials—Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and House of Assembly members—as unjustified and hasty. The labour leaders argued that these officials were democratically chosen by Rivers State residents, and any effort to oust them outside constitutional bounds threatens Nigeria’s democratic principles. They demanded a reversal to safeguard the nation’s democratic integrity.

Labour highlighted the immediate toll on local government workers, many of whom are still awaiting unpaid salaries, exacerbating their financial struggles amid soaring living costs. The unions cautioned that Rivers State’s critical role in Nigeria’s economy and the Niger Delta amplifies the potential for nationwide economic damage. With the country already battling inflation, a weakening naira, high unemployment, and escalating living expenses, they warned that instability in Rivers could intensify these challenges.

The statement also noted that political uncertainty has deterred prospective investors interested in the state’s economic projects, harming its internally generated revenue (IGR) and jeopardizing long-term growth and job creation. While recognizing the importance of maintaining order, the unions insisted that such measures must align with the Nigerian Constitution. They condemned the suspension of elected officials and the disruption of workers’ salaries as violations of basic rights, potentially deepening security and economic woes.

Labour called on the federal government to prioritize citizens’ welfare over political agendas, warning that prioritizing politics over workers’ livelihoods could spark greater unrest. They pressed President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, and the judiciary to act swiftly to lift the emergency and restore the suspended officials. The unions advocated for dialogue with key stakeholders to resolve the issue peacefully, cautioning that inaction could escalate tensions further.

While urging workers to stay calm and carry on with their responsibilities, the Organised Labour made it clear they are prepared to launch strategic actions if their demands aren’t met soon. They underscored that such steps could significantly impact national economic stability.

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