Senate mocks INEC’s exercise to recall Melaye

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The Senate, on Tuesday, faulted the ongoing recall activities lined up by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), against Senator Dino Melaye, alluding that the commission was acting under instructions to recall him.

The upper chamber also dismissed the activities as an exercise in futility given the stringent provisions of the constitution and law of the land regarding the recall of a lawmaker.

‎It accused the state government of impunity, noting that the state is pulling the strings behind Melaye’s recall bid. The Senate took the position at yesterday’s plenary when Melaye raised a point of order and claimed that his attempted recall was necessitated by his call to the state government that arrears of salaries owed the Kogi workers be paid.

Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, in his contribution, said INEC appears to be teleguided and under instructions to recall the embattled Melaye. He asked that the INEC officer in-charge of operations should be called to order to stop spending wastefully, the money owned by Nigerians to achieve a selfish aim.

“It seems INEC is being teleguided, today they will announce timetable, tomorrow, they will do this. They are doing this day as if INEC has been under instructed to go and make sure that senator Dino Melaye is recalled.

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“INEC people are being paid by the Nigerian people. It is the money of Nigerians that they are spending in that INEC. Whoever that is in-charge of operations in that INEC, must be called to order by Nigerians because what they are doing today can happen to anybody. It means that once you quarrel with a governor, he will sit down in his office, he will compile signatures and he will say that this person should be recalled,” he said.

Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, said the recall exercise will not see the light of the day “because the constitution provided very strict procedures through which a lawmaker can be recalled to avoid any abuses and the constituents of the affected lawmaker and INEC must have to come back to the Senate after exhausting the laid down procedures to convince the Senate of its satisfactory compliance with the constitution”

Kogi APC sues INEC over moves to recall Dino Melaye

By Bridget Chiedu Onochie and George Opara (Abuja)   |   05 July 2017   |   3:09 am

Dino Melaye. PHOTO: Youtube

• Senate flays process, accuses INEC of bias
The Kogi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 12 others have asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from commencing the recall process of Senator Dino Melaye.

The suit followed INEC’s announcement that it would begin the process on July 10, after receiving collated signatures from his constituency.In the originating summons, the APC listed other applicants to include, ‎Haddy Ametuo, Shaibu Osune, S.T Adejo, Yahaya Ade Ismail, Gbenga Ashagun, Ahovi S. Ibrahim, Ghali ND Usman, Isa Abubakar, I. Molemodile, Abubakr M. Adamu and Daniel Sekpe.

The counsel to the plaintiffs, Solomon T. Ologunorisa wants the court to declare that the petition presented to the INEC chairman for the recall was illegal, unlawful, wrongful and of no effect whatsoever.They also stated that the process, which was initiated through a purported petition against Melaye by some of his constituents, pursuant to Section 69 of 1999 Constitution was illegal, unlawful and of no effect whatsoever.Ologunorisa said it was a contravention to the rules of natural justice and constitutionally guaranteed right to fair hearing under section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.The applicants are further praying for an order, stopping INEC from conducting any referendum, based on the purported petition allegedly presented and signed by “dead, fictitious and purported constituents of our sponsored senator for an incompetent and fundamentally defective petition.”

Earlier, the plaintiffs had asked the court to determine whether upon a proper interpretation of the provisions of Section 65(2) (b), 68(1) (g) and 69 of the 1999 Constitution, Melaye, was not entitled to a fair hearing before the process of his recall, as contemplated by the provisions of the aforesaid section 69 of 1999 Constitution.

No date has been fixed for hearing. Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday faulted the speed of recall activities by the INEC, saying it showed that it was acting under instruction.
Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, in his contribution said INEC appeared to be teleguided to recall the embattled Melaye

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu said the plan would fail, given the stringent provisions of the constitution and the law of the land regarding the recall of a lawmaker.The Senate accused the Kogi State government of pulling the strings behind the recall bid.

Dino’s Kinsmen wash hands off plot to recall Senator.

 

By Oghenahogie OshokoPublishedSaturday 24 June 2017 6:22 PM0 CommentTags: Bunu Youths washes hands off, Senator Melaye/Recall Process

A group, Bunu Youth Forum (BYF), comprising kinsmen of the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, at the weekend washed their hands off attempts to recall Senator Dino Melaye even as they condemned the action.
The Youth Forum said the process was an attempt by selfish individuals to discredit the good work that the Senator is doing in representing the constituency at the senate.
Leader of the group, Hon. Kingsley Mokikan disclosed that even Nigerians outside the state have attested to the fact that Melaye is gradually becoming a household name in the country because of his vibrant contributions in the National Assembly thereby making Dino a pride to the entire good people of Kogi State.
BYF described the recall process as the most unfortunate thing to ever happen in Okunland regretting that some people have allowed themselves to be used in such an unholy attempt which is not in the interest of the people of the district.
 BYF said, “We have waited for them to summit their petition to INEC and thank God they have done just that. We are waiting for the next step from INEC as we are prepared to witness against this fraudulent recall process.
“As far as we are concerned as Bunu Youth, we have not at any time appended our signatures to any documents regarding the recall of Senator Dino Melaye.
“We in Bunu don’t destroy the house that we use our hand to build. We voted for senator Dino and we have no reason whatsoever to wanting to recall him”.
“We are ready to testify in any law court under oath that we have not signed any document and we are ready to challenge the process in court if in anyway during INEC verification we find our names in the satanic register as signatories to the said document”.
The group said “It is only a man that hates the people of the western senatorial district that will seek for the recall of Senator Melaye.
“We have not had it this good in the history of the Nigerian senate as far as the district is concerned. Dino is doing us proud.
“His legislative prowess has no match. Presently he has the highest number of Bills and motions and all these are people oriented.
“His problems started when he stood up to challenge the non-payment of salaries and pensions as well as the closure of all the higher institutions of learning in the state which no one has been able to question the governor and his aides for this.
“He asked that despite the fact that the governor has collected huge sum of money within a year and half, up to N100billion and more, yet he could not pay workers’ salaries.
“As far as we are concerned, Senator Dino is being condemned today for speaking the truth and we as Bunu Youth are ready to stand by him through this trouble waters” the youth group added,

Recall: Jemibewon, Lambo, Bello back Melaye

Published June 27, 2017

Senator Dino Melaye

Gbenga Odogun,  Lokoja

As the battle for the recall of the representative of Kogi-West senatorial district, Senator Dino Melaye, rages, prominent Okun indigenes have thrown their weight behind the embattled senator.

A former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN); a former Minister of Health, Prof Eyitayo Lambo; and a former Minister of Police Affairs, Maj.-Gen. David Jemibewon (retd.), have declared their support for Melaye.

A statement issued by the Okun Development Initiative, on Monday, in Lokoja, said it had become imperative for the group to come out with a position on the ongoing recall process after the Independent National Electoral Commission acknowledged receiving more than the required numbers of signatures for the exercise.

The statement signed by the group’s chairman, Lambo, said the purported recall had, once again, brought the dilemma of Okun to the fore.

It said, “The Okun Development Initiative, a prominent socio-cultural association from the western part of Kogi State, declares that the signatures being bandied about as those of the constituents of Senator Dino Melaye, seeking to recall him, are actually not from Kogi-West, the district Melaye represents in the Senate.

“The prerogative of any constituent to exercise his or her constitutionally guaranteed right to recall is inalienable but it is obvious the initiators and instigators of the current attempt against Senator Dino Melaye are not from Kogi-West but lackeys and cronies of constituted authority, an apparent outcome of misguided advice to those insistent on dividing and decimating Okun land politically for egoistic purposes.”

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2. Senator Dino Melaye‏ @dino_melaye  13h13 hours ago

   No letter from INEC yet. I urge all my supporters to remain calm & peaceful. God is on our side & light will always subdue darkness.



Distinguished Senator Dino Melaye is a stalwart of the All Progressive Congress(APC), one time member house of representatives representing the dynamic people of Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu, incumbent senator representing Kogi west senatorial district and Chairman Senate Committee on FCT.
The journey has not been a tarred and smooth one in terms of legislative and oversight function within the chamber and the general outlook of events in the country – a distraction too expensive to playback and despite all, Senator Dino Melaye is shoning like a million star to the admiration of his fans, colleagues and his adversaries. Mention 109 Senators, and one name will stand out; Dino Melaye’s doggedness in his early days at the lower legislative chamber were taken for granted. But his continuous believe in people oriented leadership won him the mandate to represent us at the upper chamber.
Senator Dino Melaye fondly called Dino, has so far sponsored a handful bills and motion in the house despite attempts by the cabals benefitting from the non-passage of this bill, Dino has pushed on not minding whose ox is gored to ensure good representation.
Constituency Project is a core responsibility of every elected personnel. However, since there are no standard gauges to measure performances, it is safe to say many can get away with funds meant to cater for the constituency, payment of tution fees and obtaining free jamb forms provided by Dino Melaye to improve education Standard in the State. Dino’s Employment project into NDLEA, SUBEB, SURE-P, FIRS, CUSTOMS, and TEACHING SERVICES etc have been commended by Kogites at home and in the Diaspora. Electricity and Solar powered Motorized Borehole in about 15wards and various construction of roads, drainages and massive erosion control projects are but a few of Dino’s gleaming achievement within four(4) years at the lower chamber, For this reason, general believe is; he will achieve more if we are patient with him and put away side talks from oppositions who dont have the interest of the masses at heart.

Voice For the Voiceless: We are living at a time where it is more rewarding to keep quiet in the face of injustice as long as our relatives, friends are not involved. The former house of reps member; Distinguished Senator Dino Melaye stands out among his peers when issues affecting the youths are on the front burner. Silence is golden, but not in the face of injustice; Dino Melaye constantly engages with the youth via social media platforms to feel their pulse in order to act accordingly. His many goodwill initiatives will soonest earn him the status as the ‘most user friendly’ senator in Nigeria; always precise and hitting the nail on the head without mincing words. Often regarded as a no nonsense politician revered by those in the opposition, Dino has carved a niche for himself as the mouth piece of Nigerian 
He has the following Chieftancy Titles:
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• Otunba of Bunu Kingdom
• Arogundade of Ogagi
• Amuro Olugbayi of Gbede
• Gbeluro of Ogidi
• Ariwajoye of Ekinrin Adde