Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said only a legitimate court order could stop the process for the recall of Senator, Dino Melaye, as demanded by his Kogi West constituents. Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the commission, Rotimi Oyekanmi, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. He said fi ling a lawsuit was not enough to stop the recall process. INEC had on Monday released the schedule of activities for the recall of Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, with August 19 fi xed for verifi cation of signatures of petitioners demanding his recall.
However, various suits have been instituted in courts to stop the process. Th e cases include those by Melaye and Concerned Kogi Registered Voters, fi led separately at a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order to halt INEC from conducting the verifi cation of signatures and the recall. Oyekanmi said the commission’s actions were being guided by the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
“Th e constituents came with sacks of documents which they said were `the signatures’ of more than half of the voting population of Kogi West Senatorial District, which Melaye represents. “Th ey also presented a register of the said signatories and a letter, asking INEC to begin the process of recalling the senator representing that particular district. “Subsequently, the commission, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Sections 116 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), on Monday issued a timetable and schedule of activities for the recall of the senator.
Th e fi rst stage is a verifi cation exercise slated for July 10, 2017. “To that extent, fi ling a lawsuit is not enough to stop INEC from carrying out its legitimate duty. “Only a legitimate court order or an injunction can be considered by the commission,’’ he said. On claims by Melaye that some of the signatures submitted to INEC were forged and that names of dead registered voters were also included, Oyekanmi said the process of verifi cation would
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said only a legitimate court order could stop the process for the recall of Senator, Dino Melaye, as demanded by his Kogi West constituents. Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the commission, Rotimi Oyekanmi, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja. He said fi ling a lawsuit was not enough to stop the recall process. INEC had on Monday released the schedule of activities for the recall of Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, with August 19 fi xed for verifi cation of signatures of petitioners demanding his recall. However, various suits have been instituted in courts to stop the process.
Th e cases include those by Melaye and Concerned Kogi Registered Voters, fi led separately at a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order to halt INEC from conducting the verifi cation of signatures and the recall. Oyekanmi said the commission’s actions were being guided by the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act. “Th e constituents came with sacks of documents which they said were `the signatures’ of more than half of the voting population of Kogi West Senatorial District, which Melaye represents. “Th ey also presented a register of the said signatories and a letter, asking INEC to begin the process of recalling the senator representing that particular district. “Subsequently, the commission, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Sections 116 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), on Monday issued a timetable and schedule of activities for the recall of the senator.
Th e fi rst stage is a verifi cation exercise slated for July 10, 2017. “To that extent, fi ling a lawsuit is not enough to stop INEC from carrying out its legitimate duty. “Only a legitimate court order or an injunction can be considered by the commission,’’ he said. On claims by Melaye that some of the signatures submitted to INEC were forged and that names of dead registered voters were also included, Oyekanmi said the process of verifi cation would