Constituents of Kogi West Senatorial District on Friday gathered at the All Progressives Congress, APC, secretariat in Kabba, headquarters of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of the state to demand the immediate recall of their representative at the Senate, Dino Melaye, whom they accused of deliberately enmeshing in scandals to bring disgrace to the district.
The protesters had earlier gathered at the Kabba Township Stadium, from where they proceeded to the INEC office, Lokoja, to initiate the process of recalling Melaye, who represents Kogi West at the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
The protesters listed 18 offences against the lawmaker, saying he deserved to be recalled. Reading from a prepared text, one of the leaders of the ‘Senator Melaye Recall Groups’, Hope Kolawole, said, “We the combined people of Kogi West Senatorial Zone in Kogi State are here today to initiate the process of recall for Senator Dino Melaye.
We are here to pick the forms to commence the process from INEC.
“Let it be known that all of the local government areas comprising Kogi West Senatorial Zone are united in their resolve to recall Senator Dino Melaye and remove the disgrace he has become to all us. (Sic).
We have compiled the key reasons below to show the world that Senator Dino Melaye’s recall is not only long overdue, but the right thing to do in the best interest of Kogi West Senatorial zone, Kogi State, Nigeria, and in fact the institution and dignity of the distinguished Senate of the Federal Republic (of Nigeria).”
Some of the infractions they listed against Senator Melaye are: “Not deeming it fit to have a constituency office in Kogi West Senatorial Zone even after two years in the Senate; he has no projects initiated in the constituency after two years in the Senate; he is known for a continuous flow of irresponsible utterances which embarrassed the constituency.
“He is enmeshed in a pending certificate scandal. His source of wealth is questionable to us and certainly not the model we wish our youth to emulate. He is an electoral fraud and has been caught on audio offering a judicial officer money to decide an electoral matter in his favour.
“Whether the appropriate authorities act or not, we the people of his (Melaye) constituency who are at the receiving end of his shameful deeds have run out of patience and are resolved to recall and replace him with a decent and people-oriented Senator.
“We understand the requirements of Section 69 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) regarding the recall of such a member of the National Assembly and hereby assure everyone that Kogi Central Senatorial Zone is united in this and will achieve it.
“We hereby give the Kogi State Government notice that we are going through with this and if they will not help us, they must also not try to stop us or put obstacles on our way, in particular, everything the law requires to be done by the administration in Lokoja in aid of this process must be done with despatch.”
