Notice of Verification(July 10, 2017). To be posted at the constituency (INEC LGA office, Lokoja).
Last day for submission of application by interested observers (31st July 2017). INEC headquarters.
Last day for submission of names of verification agents for the member sought to be recalled and the petitioners (August 10, 2017). By a letter addressed and submitted to the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) indicating the Polling Unit verification agents arranged by LGAs as well as collation agents and where they will serve.
Stakeholders meeting (August 15, 2017). INEC State Office.
Conduct of Verification (August 19, 2017). To be held in the Polling Units in the constituency.
Barring a last-minute change of mind, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will begin today the recall of Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West).
But supporters of the embattled senator have been pleading with some Christian clerics to intervene in the matter.
A team headed by INEC National Commissioner might oversee the process, which may also involve its Operation Department.
A top INEC official, who spoke in confidence, said: “There is no restraining order from any court. We will go ahead with the first leg. But if along the line, INEC is stopped from going ahead with the exercise, we will stop it.
“Pasting the verification notice is just the first leg of the process, which cannot hurt Melaye in any way.
“Even the process does not amount to removing the senator. By virtue of Section 110, a lawmaker is only opportune to gauge the mood of his or her constituents on his or her performance.
“If a lawmaker is doing well, he or she should feel free to face the electorate. The process is not a setback at all for any lawmaker.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “A team to be coordinated by the National Commissioner for Northcentral will oversee the process. Definitely, the Operation Department will be involved.
“INEC will, however, seek legal opinion immediately it is served the ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“We have subsisting court judgments, including those of the Court of Appeal, indicating that no court can stop a recall, which is like an election.”
Melaye’s counsel Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) flew into Abuja yesterday.
Some supporters of the embattled senator have been begging some Christian clerics to assist by whipping up religious sentiments, another source said.
The INEC timetable shows that Melaye’s recall will run from July 10th to August 19th.
The notice, dated July 3, 2017, reads: “In exercise of the powers conferred on the Independent National Electoral Commission (“the Commission”) by Sections 69 and 110 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended); Section 116 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and of all the powers enabling it in that behalf, the Commission hereby issues this timetable schedule of activities for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Kogi State.”
The details of the timetable are as follows:
Notice of Verification(July 10, 2017). To be posted at the constituency (INEC LGA office, Lokoja).
Last day for submission of application by interested observers (31st July 2017). INEC headquarters.
Last day for submission of names of verification agents for the member sought to be recalled and the petitioners (August 10, 2017). By a letter addressed and submitted to the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) indicating the Polling Unit verification agents arranged by LGAs as well as collation agents and where they will serve.
Stakeholders meeting (August 15, 2017). INEC State Office.
Conduct of Verification (August 19, 2017). To be held in the Polling Units in the constituency.
“The commission shall issue the timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of referendum subject to the outcome of the verification exercise.”
Final collation of results of Saturday’s bye-election for Osun West Senatorial district has commenced at the office of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
Already the official result of Iwo Local Government has been announced with the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Mudashiru Hussain polling 12,205 votes, while Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had -12,547 votes.
Other official results of the election conducted in ten council areas are as follows :
Candidate of the All Progressives Congress in today’s Osun West Senatorial bye-election, Senator Mudasiru Hussain, has described the exercise as peaceful and smooth.
Shortly after casting his vote at Ward 3 unit 1 of Ejigbo Local Government, he commended the peaceful conduct and impressive turn out of the electorate.
According to him, the system of simultaneous accreditation and voting adopted by the Independent National Electoral Commission showed that the umpire is improving on the electoral processes.
Hussain was optimistic that his party would triumph.
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the bye-election, Ademola Adeleke, younger brother of late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, also expressed optimism of victory in the poll.
He arrived his polling unit, Ward 2, Unit 9 Abogunde Compound in Ede North Local Government around 8.30 am and voted 8.34am after he had been screened and accredited.
He said he was satisfied with the process so far, adding that his participation in the poll was a shower of blessings.
Meanwhile, the early morning drizzle did not prevent voters from going to their polling units to vote.
Electoral materials arrived most polling units our correspondent visited in Ede North, Ede South and Egbedore council areas on time.
The turnout was not impressive in most polling units except Ward 7, Unit 5 Olorin/Olode in Ede South as many people to came out enmass to exercise their civic duties.
However, the voters complained that ballot papers for the unit was incomplete.
The presiding officer for the unit, Vera Umejeih, confirmed that the ballot papers were not complete, saying they received 544 instead of 547 ballot papers.
A PDP chieftain, Alhaji Kamoru Olagoke, from Unit 7, Sabo Agbongbe 1 Ward 6, said the process was going on smoothly, adding that the impression that the turn out was poor was because voters do their accreditation, screening and voting at once and many of them leave after the exercise.
Also at Oloba Atapara Ward 1 Unit 10, the exercise was described as satisfactory by voters. They acknowleged excellent performance of the card reader machines and enough electoral materials.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has charged the 14 newly sworn-in Resident Electoral Commissioners on the need to be transparent in all their activities.
Yakubu said “good election begins with a credible umpire and the strict adherence to the electoral act and regulations.”
The postings of the RECs were yet to be announced at the time of filling the report.
The INEC boss, who spoke yesterday in Abuja at the oath- taking ceremony of the 14 RECs, charged the RECs on the need to ensure that the forthcoming 2019 general election surpass the previous ones in credibility, including that of 2015.
He reminded them of the heavy burden upon them, saying, “managing elections is no ordinary responsibility. It is largely our responsibility to conduct transparent elections, leading to the credible and ultimately acceptable outcome.
“Your appointment is coming barely 19 months to the next general election. Our commitment to Nigerians is to make the 2019 election better than the previous ones and this is achievable. The eyes of the nation are on the INEC. The eyes of the international community are on the INEC. We must demonstrate that 2015 was not a fluke, but a systematic progression in the maturity of our democracy.”
Embattled Senator Dino Melaye failed on Thursday in his bid to stop the ongoing recall process by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Justice John Tsoho in an ex-parte ruling rejected Melaye’s motion for a temporary injunction restraining INEC from proceeding with the recall process until the determination of suit challenging his recall.
Instead, the judge ordered parties in the case to “maintain status quo pending the hearing of the motion on notice.”
Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) argued Melaye’s ex-parte motion.
The judge adjourned till September 29 hearing of Melaye’s motion on notice and applications filed by three individuals, led by Chief Cornelius Olowo, who applied to be made parties in the suit.
In the main suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/587/2017, with INEC as the only defendant, Melaye faulted the recall process, saying it was tainted with political malice and initiated by his political enemies.
The Senator denied any wrongdoing and claimed he was being targeted for standing up for the oppressed in Kagi State and the many workers who have not been paid salaries by the state government.
Melaye is praying the court to declare the petition submitted to INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, as “illegal, unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional, invalid, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”
He also wants the court to void the recall process because it was commenced in breach of his fundamental right to fair hearing.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that only a legitimate court order could stop the recall of Senator Dino Melaye as demanded by his Kogi West constituents.
Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Commission Rotimi Oyekanmi told newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday that filing a lawsuit was not enough to stop the process.
Oyekanmi said the actions of the commission were being guided by the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
The 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.
“They 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 the 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.
“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 verification would clear all that.
The Senate yesterday dared the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to go ahead with the recall of Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West), as demanded by his constituents.
The electoral agency is embarking on an exercise in futility, the lawmakers said.
The Senate said the various stages passed so far in the process were not in line with laid down constitutional procedures and guidelines, adding that it amounted to a waste of time by all the parties involved.
This resolution followed a point of order raised against the move by Melaye.
Melaye drew the attention of the Senate to what he described as “supersonic move” by INEC to conclude work on the recall petitions written against him by some of his constituents, who he alleged were sponsored by Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
Melaye said: “The score of both valid and invalid votes in the election that brought me into the Senate in 2015 was 118,000 but my governor and his appointees in four days claimed they got signatures of over 188,000.
They got INEC data base of registered voters and copied in one writing into a recall register and forged all the signatures. As I speak to you, over 120 dead certificates issued by the National Population Commission and these people’s relations and families have sworn to affidavits and these certificates have been deposited.
“The names of all these dead people appeared on the recall register submitted to INEC.
“116 of my constituents have sworn to affidavits that their names and signatures appeared in the recall registers and that they did not sign.
“86 of my constituents have sworn to an affidavit that they were approached and that the government wants to carry out a fertiliser empowerment programme and requested for their PVCs and thereby deceived them into putting their names in the recall register.”
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu cited Sections 68, 69 and other relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to fault the move. He wondered why INEC is not following the laid down procedure in carrying out the exercise.
Ekweremadu said: “I am wondering why we are dissipating energy on this matter and wasting precious legislative time on a matter we should not.
“What is happening in Kogi in respect of Senator Dino Melaye, as far as this constitution is concerned, is an exercise in futility. They are just wasting precious time because the constitution is clear on what should happen.
Saraki, Ekweremadu
“It is possible that the Attorney- General of Kogi State has not advised them properly. If he had done that, I am sure they would have applied their time to more meaningful ventures in Kogi State.”
Ekweremadu added that the National Assembly, in 2010, amended the constitution in respect of Section 69, which deals wit the recall of a lawmaker.
According to him, the Section clearly states that those who are seeking to recall Melaye are supposed to line up somewhere in Kogi State with him and his lawyers, with each person verifying his signature.
When they are done with that, they go back to Section 68, which states that the President of the Senate receives from the chairman of INEC the recall of the member. They would also present evidence satisfactory to the House or the Senate.
“So they need to come back here and convince each and every one of us that they have done the correct thing. Unless they do that, they cannot even give effect to it. So why are we wasting our time? Let us move on and allow them to waste their time,” Ekweremadu said.
Senate President Bukola Saraki said: “As they say, 10 years is no joke in leadership, the Deputy Senate President has explained the processes. So, let the process speak for itself.
”I really don’t know why a lot of efforts are being wasted that should have gone into more important things. Eventually, it must come back here for us to decide whether it is satisfactory or not.”
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Sen. Dino Melaye yesterday appeared to have lost the battle to stop the process of his recall from the Upper Chamber.
He is the first member of the National Assembly to face the recall process since the return of democracy in 1999.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the timetable for Melaye’s recall.
The recall process will run from July 10 to August 19.
There were indications last night that security agencies have been put on the alert to ensure a hitch-free recall process.
According to a notice signed by the Secretary to INEC, Mrs. Augusta C. Ogakwu, the recall process has been initiated in line with the provisions of 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010(as amended).
The notice, dated July 3, reads in part: “In exercise of the powers conferred on the Independent National Electoral Commission by Sections 69 and 110 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended); Section 116 of the Electoral Act 2010(as amended) and of all the powers enabling it in that behalf, the commission hereby issues this timetable schedule of activities for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Kogi State.”
The details of the timetable are as follows:
Notice of Verification (July 10, 2017). To be posted at the constituency (INEC LGA office, Lokoja).
Last day for submission of application by interested observers (July 31, 2017) INEC headquarters.
Last day for submission of names of verification agents for the member sought to be recalled and the petitioners (August 10, 2017). By a letter addressed and submitted to the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) indicating the Polling Unit verification agents arranged by LGAs as well as collation agents and where they will serve.
Stakeholders meeting (August 15, 2017) atINEC State Office.
Conduct of Verification (August 19, 2017). To be held in the Polling Units in the constituency.
“The commission shall issue the timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of referendum subject to the outcome of the verification exercise.”
As at the press time, there were indications that security agencies have been put on the alert to ensure a hitch-free recall exercise.
Renowned blogger, Comrade Austin Okai, has accused Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of attempting to swap the computer used in his double voter registration saga.
Okai, who spoke during Eid in Lokoja, called for an overhaul of INEC workers in Kogi to stem further manipulations.
He maintained that the governor is running around to repair his image, following global condemnation of his double registration.
His words: “The current impasse on Governor Yahaya Bello’s double registration is a pointer to the lack of confidence in INEC, both in Kogi and the headquarters, in future elections. I urge INEC to replace all card readers meant for kogi elections in the future.”
Okai added that the investigative panel compounded the scenario with their plans to swap the laptop used for the registration.
According to him, the data on the laptop was deleted and the Electoral Officer, Mr. Ajani, brought another for scrutiny.
Okai challenged INEC to request for the laptops in Lokoja council and recall the HOD ICT and VOTER Registry, the accountant and Administrative Secretary, whose complicity is obvious through inducement from the government, for investigation.
But Governor Bello, through his Director General on Media and Publicity, Kingsley Fanwo, described the allegation as characteristic of the author and his sponsors. “It is baseless and unfounded”, he said.
His words: “If Governor Yahaya Bello is not popular, why are they jittery? The governor is not prepared for the 2019 politics yet. He has a mandate to discharge and he will work for the people until his last day in office.
“It is unfortunate that the social media has provided a platform for such an unintelligent allegation. We do not have to react to such. Governor Yahaya Bello does not work in INEC and clear statements have been made that the governor was in Dubai on the said day.
“INEC has not started registering people offshore and it is free to investigate any issue that affects it.
“The governor is committed to fulfilling his obligations to the people. He is busy building roads, schools, hospitals and making agriculture the epicentre of our economic prosperity. These are the issues that can attract the attention of the governor.
“The media should concentrate on development rather than promoting irrelevant issues. We want the media to partner us to take Kogi to new heights.”
They got INEC data base of registered voters and copied in one writing into a recall register and forged all the signatures. As I speak to you, over 120 dead certificates issued by the National Population Commission and these people’s relations and families have sworn to affidavits and these certificates have been deposited.