INEC to release fresh timetable for Melaye’s recall

The Independent National Electoral Commission says it will
release a fresh timetable and schedule of activities for the recall
of Senator Dino Melaye, who represents Kogi West Senatorial
District.

The Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi,
said this on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels
Television.

Osaze-Uzzi said this while reacting to a judgement by the Court
of Appeal giving INEC the nod to proceed with Melaye’s recall.

The INEC director said the timetable, released by the commission
in July 2017, was altered by the court case and a new one would
need to be issued to guide the recall process.

He said although the electoral body had yet to receive the
certified true copy of the appeal court judgment, the summary of
the ruling was already public knowledge.

Osaze-Uzzi said, “You have 90 days to conduct a referendum to
decide if people want it or not. So, we will issue a public notice
and timetable and schedule for activities because the one we
previously issued has now been invalidated but it has been
validated by the Appeal Court and we will proceed with what the
court has said.”

Explaining the process, the INEC director said it would notify
the lawmaker and all other parties involved.

He added, “Now we have to do verification because the law
requires that a petition allegedly signed by over 50 per cent of
the registered voters in a senatorial district must be verified. We
must notify the senator and tell him to give us an agent and we go
to do a verification exercise.

“So, we have to do these things because it was paused. You will
recall that the timetable was last year. So, INEC will do a
verification on a particular day and if it is successful, then we
will take the next step and if the steps are all successful, then
we will pick a date for the referendum so we will issue a modified
timetable bringing it up to date.”

When asked if INEC would go ahead with the process despite
Melaye’s statement that he would take the matter to the Supreme
Court, Osaze-Uzzi said the commission only acted based on
reality.

He said, “I can’t say what the Supreme Court will do but it will
depend on the interlocutory processes that are filed between the
Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court but for now, all hurdles have
been removed; so, the commission can continue with the
process.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission says it will
release a fresh timetable and schedule of activities for the recall
of Senator Dino Melaye, who represents Kogi West Senatorial
District.

The Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi,
said this on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels
Television.

Osaze-Uzzi said this while reacting to a judgement by the Court
of Appeal giving INEC the nod to proceed with Melaye’s recall.

The INEC director said the timetable, released by the commission
in July 2017, was altered by the court case and a new one would
need to be issued to guide the recall process.

He said although the electoral body had yet to receive the
certified true copy of the appeal court judgment, the summary of
the ruling was already public knowledge.

Osaze-Uzzi said, “You have 90 days to conduct a referendum to
decide if people want it or not. So, we will issue a public notice
and timetable and schedule for activities because the one we
previously issued has now been invalidated but it has been
validated by the Appeal Court and we will proceed with what the
court has said.”

Explaining the process, the INEC director said it would notify
the lawmaker and all other parties involved.

He added, “Now we have to do verification because the law
requires that a petition allegedly signed by over 50 per cent of
the registered voters in a senatorial district must be verified. We
must notify the senator and tell him to give us an agent and we go
to do a verification exercise.

“So, we have to do these things because it was paused. You will
recall that the timetable was last year. So, INEC will do a
verification on a particular day and if it is successful, then we
will take the next step and if the steps are all successful, then
we will pick a date for the referendum so we will issue a modified
timetable bringing it up to date.”

When asked if INEC would go ahead with the process despite
Melaye’s statement that he would take the matter to the Supreme
Court, Osaze-Uzzi said the commission only acted based on
reality.

He said, “I can’t say what the Supreme Court will do but it will
depend on the interlocutory processes that are filed between the
Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court but for now, all hurdles have
been removed; so, the commission can continue with the
process.”