ASABA/Nigeria: The move to recall Hon. Ngozi Okolie, the House of Representatives member for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, has gathered significant momentum as constituents continue to sign a petition seeking his removal from office.
Okolie faces mounting opposition from his constituents, who accuse him of non-performance, neglect, self-enrichment, and failure to attract meaningful development projects to the constituency. There are also allegations that he has not provided an account of the constituency development funds allocated to him at the National Assembly.
The Concerned Citizens of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, a prominent socio-political group representing the 58 communities in the constituency, has spearheaded the recall process.
According to the group’s chairman, Dr. Tony Curtis, the collection of signatures is progressing swiftly, with a substantial number of registered voters already endorsing the petition.
“The people of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency have lost confidence in Hon. Okolie. This recall process is beyond party affiliations, as even members of his Labour Party and non-partisan individuals are supporting it,” Curtis told journalists on Friday.
He further stated that the group had secured the constitutionally required one-half of registered voters in the constituency to proceed with the recall and would soon submit the petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“This is democracy in action,” Curtis added. “Hon. Okolie has demonstrated that he is unfit to represent us. He has neglected the people, failed to deliver development projects, and lacks accountability. We are united in our resolve to recall him, and there is no going back.”
The agitation for Okolie’s removal intensified following a self-organized media event, during which he was reportedly confronted by journalists about his alleged lack of engagement with the constituency and failure to execute infrastructure and empowerment programs. Okolie allegedly admitted to achieving only “one or two things” in his 18 months in office, further fueling the recall campaign.
Under Section 110 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), a lawmaker can be recalled if a petition signed by more than half of registered voters in the constituency is presented to INEC and subsequently approved through a referendum.
As the recall process gains traction, political observers are closely monitoring developments to see how the embattled lawmaker will respond to the growing discontent among his constituents.
