The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says it will begin the process of recalling Senator Dino Melaye on July 3, 2017 as demanded by his senatorial district.
Representatives of Kogi West Senatorial District had on Wednesday submitted six bags containing over 100,000 signatures requesting that Melaye be recalled as his people had lost confidence in him.
Melaye had laughed off the move to recall him, describing it as a hoax and a comedy of error.
INEC, in a statement said it held its regular weekly meeting on Thursday and considered the petition submitted by some registered voters from Kogi West Senatorial District to kick-start the process of recalling Senator Melaye.
The body said in accordance with its guidelines for the recall of members of the National Assembly, the Commission had formally acknowledged the receipt of the petition to the petitioners’ representatives and has conveyed a letter notifying Senator Melaye of its receipt of the petition.
“The next step is to verify that the petitioners are registered voters in the Kogi West Senatorial District.
“INEC will, on the 3rd of July, 2017 issue a public notice stating the day(s), time, location and other details for the verification exercise,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, In readiness for the 2019 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, will display the preliminary voters’ register at registration centres, next week.
This, according to the electoral umpire, is to enable the public scrutinise the register before the printing of Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs. The document will be on display for seven days.
The preliminary register will contain the names of those who registered newly or transferred their votes to new areas since the Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise, began on April 27 at local council offices, nationwide.
This is coming as the commission said that 82,206 men were captured as “housewife” during accreditation with the smart card reader for the March 28, 2015 Presidential and National Assembly polls.
The CVR is to give opportunity to those who have turned 18 years of age after the last exercise; those who could not register during the last general registration exercise; those seeking transfer to new locations; and registered voters who have TVCs but names not on Register of Voters.
Giving a breakdown of the 23,643,479 voters accredited for the 2015 Presidential and National Assembly polls, the INEC said that 4,137,769 were captured as house wife. Of this figure, it said 82,206 were male while 4,055,563 were female.
