Buu Nygren recall, Navajo Nation, Arizona (2024-2025)
| Navajo Nation recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2024-2025 Recalls in Arizona Arizona recall laws Special district recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren did not go to a vote in March 2025, after recall organizers gathered only 11,193 signatures.[2] Recall organizers had to collect 29,803 valid signatures in order to get the recall on the ballot.[3] The recall committee was led by Debbie Nez-Manuel, who previously served as the executive director of the Navajo Nation Division of Human Resources but was terminated in June 2024.[3]
Recall supporters
The recall committee's website stated the following grounds for the recall attempt against Nygren:[1]
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The organizers of the Recall Campaign believe there are several reasons, including but not limited to: 1. Breach of Fiduciary Duty: President Nygren has failed to perform his responsibilities in a manner that is faithful to the Navajo people’s trust. The people no can longer entrust $9 billion of the people’s assets and $2.9 billion of ARPA funds to the President who has:
2. Incompetence and Neglect of Duty: President has failed to uphold his duty to the people and Navajo law prescribing him to provide a quarterly report to the Navajo Council. President has failed to:
3. Misconduct in Office: President’s actions are not aligned with the will of the voters. The President has been accused of sexual harassment in his office and has failed to
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Recall opponents
Nygren published the following response to the recall campaign in The Navajo-Hopi Observer:[5]
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To the Navajo People, As many of you know, the signature-gathering process for the “Recall Buu Nygren” effort has concluded. For those who participated, thank you for engaging in the democratic process of holding elected leaders accountable and I respect your right to be heard. This is our Navajo Nation, and we all have the right to organize, speak up, and hold leadership accountable. To those who signed the petition—I want to hear from you. What are your concerns? Why did you sign? And more importantly, how can we do better? Today, I ask that we reflect on our traditional Navajo ways of “K’é” (kinship) and “Naabik’íyáti’” (talking things out) and find a way forward together. Over the past two years, I’ve worked hard for all our Navajo people – including those who did not vote for me. To me, every family and every community matters. For the thousands who declined to sign the recall petition, I do not take your decision lightly. Thank you for continuing to have confidence in me. I will continue to serve every one of you with respect and dedication, and to ensure your continued confidence. Although I respect the process of the recall, I also believe it has been divisive for our Nation. As we move forward, we must focus on unity and healing. We need to refocus on continuing to create change and move toward progress. We need to heal and come together to build a stronger future. This requires open hearts, understanding, and the willingness to move beyond the challenges. Every day, I encourage our team to push through the many systemic and bureaucratic challenges of our government. We are always on call to address the needs of the people. Just this morning, our division directors and staff met for our monthly 6 a.m. meeting. If you have ideas and solutions, send them our way. Even better—join us in the effort to make change as we think for the future. Be part of the work of rebuilding our Nation, healing our communities, and creating real change. Recall supporters worked and organized for six months. Imagine what we could accomplish if we channeled that same energy into healing our people, building homes, creating jobs, and improving our communities. All that passion doesn’t have to end here. Let’s redirect it. We have two years left, and our families are counting on us to deliver. Let’s get to work and heal together for the betterment of our people and communities. -Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren [4] |
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Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Arizona
Under Title 11 of the Navajo Nation Code, the Navajo Nation provides for recall elections of elected officials. Recall proceedings may not be initiated until an elected official has served at least six months in office.[6]
For a recall petition to proceed, it must be signed by a specified percentage of registered voters who voted in the last election for the office in question. Historically, the Navajo Nation Code required signatures from at least 60% of such voters, but legislation (CN-79-18) amended the code to lower that percentage to 30% of voters who voted in the last election for the position.[7][8]
Once a recall petition is filed with the Navajo Nation Election Administration after meeting the minimum time-in-office requirement and gathering the required signatures, election officials verify the signatures and determine whether the petition meets statutory requirements. If the petition is found to be valid, a recall election is scheduled in accordance with the Navajo Nation Election Code.[6]
See also
- Recall campaigns in Arizona
- Political recall efforts, 2024
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- Special district recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bambuuzled, "Recall President Buu Nygren, FAQs," accessed August 29, 2024
- ↑ Knau, "Efforts to recall Navajo President Buu Nygren fall short," March 7, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Knau, "Recall effort launched against Navajo President Buu Nygren ," August 12, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Navajo-Hopi Observer, "Guest Column: Nygren speaks on recall efforts," March 4, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Navajo Election Administration, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed February 18, 2026
- ↑ Navajo Nation Office of Legislative Services, "Navajo Nation Code Amendments," accessed February 18, 2026
- ↑ “CN-79-18: Amending the Navajo Nation Election Code at 11 N.N.C. § 241(A),” accessed February 18, 2026
