Melaye’s recall: Senate fault process by IME, says due process not followed.

The Senate has waded into the controversy over the recall process adopted by the IndependentNational Electoral Commission INEC to recall Senator Dino Melaye, the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District saying the action is an exercise in futility.

According to the upper chamber of the legislature, the purported recall moves Senator Melaye is a waste of time and resources by Kogi state and those involved.

Furthermore, the Senate said, “INEC is aware of relevant sections of the constitution that the cumbersome process of recall must follow”.

The Senate resolution also stated that the various stages passed so far in the recall process, as being championed by INEC, were not in line with laid down constitutional procedures and guidelines.

Senator Melaye himself had raised a point of order against the move to recall him drawing the attention of the upper house to violations of laid down procedure by INEC in pursing his recall.

 In the meantime, Kogi State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to stop INEC from activating process for the recall of Senator Dino Melaye.

Apart from the State APC, other plaintiffs behind the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/601/2017, are Alhaji Haddy Ametuo, Hon. Shaibu Osune, S.T Adejo, Comrade Yahaya Ade Ismail, Chief Gbenga Ashagun, Ahovi S. Ibrahim, Ghali ND Usman, Isa Abubakar, I. Molemodile, Abubakr M. Adamu and Daniel Sekpe.

Recall that INEC disclosed it would commence the recall process on July 10, having earlier received petition and signatures said to be collated from Melaye’s constituents.

Melaye had approached a court calling for a cancellation of the process noting that the petition presented to INEC for his recall was illegal, unlawful, wrongful, unconstitutional, invalid, null and void and of no effect in law.

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