INEC fixes date for Dino’s recall

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday said the recall of the senator representing Kogi west senatorial district, Dino Melaye, would commence on April 28.

The commission said the verification of the already collated signatures would take place on Saturday, April 28, while the referendum on the recall was scheduled for May 5.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof James Apam, said this at Lokoja, the Kogi state capital during a stakeholders meeting with political parties, religious leaders and civil society organisations.

He said the commission was going ahead with the recall following the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Abuja division that dismissed the appeal filed by the senator to challenge the recall.

Apam explained that INEC as a law-abiding organisation that was created by the law and would strictly to the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal which ordered the commission to start the recall process.

According to him, the verification would involve ascertaining at least 50 plus one percent of the signatures before the recall could sail through.

Apam added that a referendum would be conducted as from first Saturday of May but it would depend on the success of the verification exercise.

• Court grants INEC’s request for accelerated hearing in Senator Melaye’s recall suit

The REC said, “On this day, the commission will endeavour to invite all those who have signed the recall register to come forward and identify their signature.”

According to him, the commission would proceed to the next stage of the process which is the referendum where all registered voters would participate.

“Here, voters will be asked to vote either yes or no to the question of whether they want Senator Dino Melaye recalled. If the answer was able to meet the constitutional requirements of 51 percent yes, the process moves to the next stage but if it fails, the process stops,” Apam explained.

On the continuous voters’ registration, Apam said at Lokoja least 210,000 permanent voters cards were yet to be collected by their owners, expressing worries over the development.

The commission, however, expressed its readiness to adequately prepare for the forthcoming election to ensure that it is hitch free.

Apam also solicited the support of the stakeholders to enable the commission conduct credible elections in 2019.