•INEC releases time-table for exercise
Senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Dino Melaye, will know whether he will continue to sit comfortably in the Senate chambers, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, or return home, on August 19, 2017.
The new date fixed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to verify signatures submitted to it, for his recall.
INEC released the time table for Melaye’s recall, in Abuja, yesterday.
The decision of the electoral umpire is coming amidst efforts by Melaye’s counsel to stop the commission from kick-starting the recall process.
INEC had, last week, acknowledged receiving a petition from Melaye’s constituents asking to recall him.
About 52 per cent of registered voters in the lawmaker’s constituency reportedly signed the petition.
The commission had also written to the senator intimating him formally of its receipt of the petition and that it would kickstart the process on July 3.
Yesterday, spokesperson of INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, told an online plateform, yesterday, the commission would go ahead with the recall as the suit being referred to by Melaye’s counsel is mere intent to challenge the process.
“Yes, it is true we received a letter from his lawyer but, that is just an intention to go to court, the case has not been heard, so, you can’t say we should stop our process because he wants to go to court. He can go to court and pursue whatever he wants to, but, we’ll go on with our process,” he said.
Melaye, had, through his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, filed a suit at a Federal High Court in Abuja with No. FHC/ABJ/CS/587/2017 challenged the recall bid.
Ozekhome, thereafter, wrote to INEC and informed the commission of the suit and asked it not to commence the recall until the matter is heard.
INEC is, however, insisting a suit alone cannot stop its recall process.
In the timetable INEC released yesterday, the commission said on July 10, a notice of verification will be pasted at the constituency headquarters, in Lokoja.
While July 31, has been scheduled as the last day for submission of application by interested observers.
August 10 is the last day for submission of names of verification agents for the member sought to be recalled and the petitioners.
On August 15, a stakeholders’ meeting will hold at the INEC office in the state and on August 19, there would be verification of signatures for his recall.
The result will be declared same day.
Last week, National Commissioner and Member, Information and Voter Education Committee of the commission,Mallam Mohammed Haruna, said in Abuja, that the recall process would start on July 3, 2017.
Six bags of signatures of the electorate in Kogi West were, last week, submitted to INEC in Abuja, demanding Melaye’s recall.
They stated grounds of poor representation in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
The commission, which acknowledged receipt of the petition, said that decision to begin the process in the constituents’ demand was reached at its meeting on Thursday.
It said that it had the receipt of the petition for the recall to Melaye through a letter.