Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West Senatorial district in the National Assembly says the signatures allegedly collected to influence his recall and forwarded to Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) were forged.
Addressing newsmen on Sunday in Lokoja, Melaye who said investigations had revealed that even the dead signed the recall across the seven area councils of the senatorial district, described the process as fraudulent.
Speaking through one of his legislative aides, Malam Abubakar Sadiq, the embattled senator said names and signatures of dead constituents were on the list.
According to him, the name of a former governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state, late Chief Rotimi Obadofin precisely from Iya-Gbede axis was on the list.
“Let me also sound authoritatively that here in Lokoja Local Government Council, several others whose names and signatures appeared on the list of the signatories to this failed exercise were identified and known to us as being dead long before now.
“Such people like late Abdullahi Abubakar, his immediate younger sister late Halima Lawal Abubakar and Ibrahim Adama of Unit Code 021, Adankolo Ring Road in Ward ‘A’, Lokoja Local Government Council.
Also one late Salihu Black of Gegu-Beki town, Kogi Local Government Council who until his death was a biology teacher in Government Secondary School, Koton-Karfe, also appended his signature on the recall list.
“This recall exercise was hatched in Kogi Government House due to the manner in which Senator Dino Melaye consistently challenges and engages the government over non-payment of workers’ salaries and pensioners for over 15 months; and also the constant closure of tertiary institutions ,” he stated.
Senator Melaye also alleged that they claimed to have gotten over 188,000 signatories of electorates in Kogi West when the total vote cast, both valid and rejected, in the last senatorial election of 2015, was merely 111, 000 for all the candidates that participated.
In a swift reaction, Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi said Senator Dino Melaye should stop worrying about INEC.
Bello, who spoke through his chief Press Secretary, Mrs Petra Onyegbule, said facts about the constituents were with INEC which had the responsibility of verifying the signatures.
“There is nothing for the distinguished senator to be worried about. INEC has set July 3, for the public verification of signatures and the date is around the corner; there is no point burning their energies all over the place”, Onyegbule said
On the alleged collation signatures in Government House, the spokes person said it was absolutely false as no single signature was collated in Government House. (NAN) Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Dino, you are really out of your mind. You've said and done all kinds of things including boasting about your intention to beat up a female senator whose husband was a state governor in the recent past. Your recall process is really long overdue. Shameless ass hole, you.
ReplyDeleteReally long overdue!
DeleteThat man is a complete shame not only to the national assembly and his state but the whole country as a whole
let the Inec do its work first ogbeni Dino. then challenge it in the court Ole
ReplyDeleteIt is INEC who will identify the signatures, why are his assistants running their mouths about the dead men signatures?
ReplyDeleteThis is the moment of truth lets wait and see. You got there because of their votes and they don't want you so get ready for the journey back home.
He who lives by the sword die by the sword...
ReplyDeleteSaraki backbone is going out.
ReplyDelete