Low turn out as INEC verifies signatures for Melaye’s recall

THE ongoing verification exercise organised by INEC to authenticate signatures of voters seeking the recall of Sen. Dino Melaye (APC/Kogi West), has witnessed a low turn out in most parts of Lokoja.

Correspondents of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) monitoring the exercise in the Kogi capital, report that most of the polling units were empty, with some people claiming that they were not aware of the exercise.

At most polling units in Ward 1 of Odo Egbe, INEC officials told NAN that less than 20 voters had shown interest in the exercise.

They said that many people were not interested in the recall process.

Miss Felicia Adebayo, a voter, who spoke with NAN, said that she came out because she was told that money was being shared at the polling units.

“I am told that money is being shared to those that come; I need the money because we have not been paid salary for a while,” she said.

NAN’s efforts to confirm the veracity of Adebayo’s claim proved abortive as no one was ready to react to it.

An INEC official, who craved anonymity, said that there was general apathy to the exercise.

“Very few people have shown interest in the exercise; we have been waiting for people to come out but very few seem to know what we are doing here,” he said.