The recall process of the influential politician and outspoken lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye from the National Assembly Abuja, has witnessed a low turnout in Kogi state.
INEC officials accrediting a constituent at a polling unit
TORI News had reported on Wednesday that a stakeholders meeting organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to kick-start the recall process of Senator Dino Melaye from the National Assembly took place in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital.
TheCable has reported that the recall process of the senator representing Kogi west, is currently taking place across 560 polling units in the senatorial district, adding that the exercise is being marred by low turn out of voters and unverified signatures after it commenced an hour after.
It was gathered that some people also complained that they could not participate in the exercise "because we are told our signatures do not match what they have", whils in some other polling units, only few persons had been attended to, at least two hours after the exercise started.
At polling unit 010, beside Kogi post office in Lokoja, not a single signature had been verified on the register two hours after the exercise begun.
The INEC staff on ground disclosed that "missing names and unverified signatures" were part of the challenges they had been experiencing.
"Since when we started at 8:30am, we have not been able to verify one signature. And some people's name are not even on the list," an INEC official, Chidi, said.
Ahmadu Mamman, a supporter of Melaye, who interrupted the conversation said: "It shows the people do not want the recall to be done. Of all of them that have come here, not a single electorate has their signature matched with what is on the register.
"It shows the signatures were manipulated. Some of them said they weren't the ones that signed the signature."
There was also apathy at polling units 012, ward B when a reporter visited there around 10:30am. "We left INEC office at 8:30am but we waited for another one hour before people started coming out We have attended to only 20 persons in over two hours," said an INEC official at the unit.
A woman whose signature did not correspond with the one on INEC register, was seen begging the electoral officials to "check again."
"Madam, we have told you. This does not match the signature we have, sorry we can't attend to you. We only have business with those we have their signature," an official told her.
Meanwhile Dino Melaye is currently in the hospital over injuries sustained for jumping out of a moving police vehicle. The police had arrested and was conveying him to a court in Lokoja for a gun running case when he attempted to escape.
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