Dino Melaye

By Richard Elesho/ Lokoja

Embattled Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West) must have heaved a sigh of relief from his running battle with the security agencies and at the political front, as an attempt to recall him met a procedural brick wall today. The assumed petitioners from his constituency, failed to confirm their signatures in a verification exercise conducted in the Senatorial District by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

In Lokoja the State Capital and all over Kogi West, the exercise witnessed a major setback as a result of low turnout of petitioners, apathy and rampant allegations of signature forgery. The exercise, a major component of the recall process commenced at 8.00 am. INEC officials, ad hoc staff and polling agents of the senator took positions early, but petitioners mostly shunned them and refused to partake in the controversial civic obligation.

The News observed that with an active presence of security agents, the exercise went peacefully in all the 560 polling units in the 7 local governments areas of Kogi West and there were no reports of Card Reader failures. But only very few petitioners were seen in the polling units for the exercise.

At some polling units, some petitioners were seen complaining about
their signatures and therefore vehemently refused to be accredited and
verified. It was equally gathered in other places that some petitioners were verified but refused to tomb print against earlier signatures, which they disowned.

In one of the polling stations in MopaMuro Local Government, a man threatened to sue the Independent National Electoral Commission for including his wife’s name in the list of the petitioners.

While speaking with Journalists during the exercise, the INEC National Commissioner, supervising Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa states, Mallam Mohammed Haruna assured the people that the commission would be transparent enough as to ensure the credibility of the exercise. The National Commissioner reiterated that the commission would remain neutral and ensure the process remain transparent. He said INEC cannot be blamed for the low turn out of petitioners as that is the business of the parties.

Haruna also cleared doubts about the issues arising from signatures, stressing that the exercise is meant for those who have signed the petition and not for those who did not.

The National Commissioner noted that a petitioner who appeared for the verification exercise and whose signature did not tally with the original one would be disenfranchised.

Meanwhile the Administrator of Kogi Local government, Mallan Tanko Musa described the exercise as very peaceful in his area.He pointed out that the petitioners were reporting at each polling units without molestation, adding that they were there to check their names and do the verification exercise without further delay.

In parts of Kabba/Bunu/ Ijumu and Yagba Federal Constituencies, people were seen in groups discussing the recall exercise while some other groups of women and children reportedly celebrated the low turn out and clearly abysmal turn out of the exercise in Kabba.