Recall: Melaye Absent As INEC Officials Visit NASS To Serve Him Notice

Channels Television  

Efforts by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to formally serve Senator Dino Melaye the petition the commission received from his constituents to recall him, appears to have met a brick wall.

On getting to the National Assembly today, the INEC officials discovered Senator Melaye’s office locked, forcing them to drop the documents at the door to his office.

Senator Melaye had on Monday declared during a press conference in Abuja that the time which his recall was meant to take place had elapsed.

The Senator, who represents Kogi West Senatorial district, had alleged that it was only after several attempts at his life had failed that the process of his recall initiated by his adversaries.

INEC had released an amended timetable for the recall process on the petition against Senator Dino Melaye.

Melaye, who represents Kogi West senatorial district, had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop the process, but the court asked the electoral body to continue with the exercise.

Some of his constituents had also petitioned INEC, requesting that they would like to recall the lawmaker, although the senator’s lawyer said the earlier judgment had been appealed.

In its new timetable released today (Monday), the Commission said it would restart the exercise with a notice of verification on October 3, while the verification exercise would hold on October 14.

“Further to the statement by the Independent National Electoral Commission issued on September 12, the Commission today issued an amended Timetable and Schedule of Activities pursuant to the petition for the recall of Senator Dino Melaye,” the electoral umpire said in a statement issued by its secretary, Mrs. Augusta Ogakwu.