Dino Melaye retains senatorial seat as INEC declares recall exercise failed, invalid, ineffective

The bid to recall Sen. Dino Melaye, lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, has failed as the verification exercise did not meet the constitutional requirements, TOPNAIJA.NG can confirm.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the results released at the INEC office, Lokoja, in the early hours of Sunday said only 5.34% signatures was verified.

According to the result read and released by the Resident Electoral Commissioner from Benue State, Professor Ukertor Gabriel, the total number of registered voters in Kogi West was 351, 140.

The Commissioner added that a total number of petitioners’ signatures collated for recall was 189, 870, while only 20,868 signatory were present for accreditation.

He, however, said only 18,743 number of signatures were verified for the recall.

According to the INEC Commissioner, the constitutional requirements and percentage to effect the recall of Sen Dino Melaye by the petitioners could not be met, ”consequently and in the light of the of the above, haven’t failed to meet the constitutional requirements by law, INEC, declared the petition as failed, invalid, and ineffective.”

The petition, the commissioner added is also not qualified for a referendum)which could have been the next stage.

In a chat with newsmen, agent to Sen Dino Melaye, Mahmud Abubakar, who was visibly elated and impressed with the results, said it is a victory over executive recklessness.