Dino Melaye survives recall attempt

The effort to recall the Senator Dino Melaye of Kogi West failed on Saturday following a low turn-out for the verification of signatures.

The results announced by INEC at the end of the exercise showed that only 18,742 signatories to the recall petition were verified out of the 189,870 signatories on the petition.

The verified signatories came out well below the requirement of the law that 50 per cent and one of the signatories must be verified before the recall process can continue.

Accordingly, the indented Senator Melaye who is in the hospital owing to the drama that followed his arrest has survived the recall attempt.

Here is how the verification exercise turned out in the seven local government areas in the senatorial district, which has 351,146 registered voters.

KOTON KARFE LGA
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 46,727.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITIONS – 24,459.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 2,566.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES VERIFIED – 2, 335.

KABBA BUNU LGA
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 59,319
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITIONS – 27,910
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATORIES AT VERIFICATION – 2,151
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNAT7S VERIFIED – 2,085.

IJUMU
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 46,810.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURE ON THE PETITION – 24,389.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 2,811.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES VERIFIED – 2,664.

YAGBA EAST
TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 35,329.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURE ON THE PETITION – 18,229.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 3,580.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES VERIFIED – 3,506.

MOPA AMURO
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 18, 350
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION – 9,173.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 729.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATARIES VERIFIED – 710.

There was violence in Mopa Amuro towards the end of the exercise. Six polling units were reportedly affected. As a result, the exercise in six out of the 10 wards in the LGA were cancelled.

YAGBA WEST LGA
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 35,506
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION – 19,444
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 4,221
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATORIES VERIFIED – 3,729.

LOKOJA LGA
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 109,105
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION – 66,266.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 4,810.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATARIES VERIFIED – 3,763.