INEC ‘not aware’ of plan to recall Melaye

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is not aware of any plan to recall Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, from the senate.

Speaking to NAN on Thursday, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, INEC’s director of voter education and publicity, explained that it is only when 50 percent of the registered voters in a senatorial district sign a petition, that a recall process can begin.

He said upon receipt of such petition, INEC would carry out a verification exercise to ensure that the voters who signed the petition are from the senatorial district.

“It is only when the petitioners get 50 percent of the registered voters that they can submit a recall petition to the commission. That is when INEC can commence the recall process, but we have not received such petition,” the director said.

“It is only when we are satisfied with that, we now go for a referendum. That is what the constitution states.

“For now, we don’t know if anybody is trying to recall him until a petition is submitted to the commission.”

Melaye who escaped unhurt from the incident told his colleagues at the senate on Tuesday that a state of emergency should be declared in Kogi, as the state is in “anarchy.”

The senator and Yahaya Bello, Kogi governor, have since traded blames over the incident that left some people dead.