One of the troubles of the senator representing Kogi West senatoral district, Mr. Dino Melaye seemed over as he had survived the attaempt to recall him from the Senate.
This followed a low turn-out for by the petitioners who allegedly signed for the recall of the lawmaker at the verification exercise conducted by the Indepedent National Electoral Commission, INEC across the senatorial district on Saturday.
Only 18,742 signatories to the recall petition were verified out of the 189,870 signatories on the petition, INEC said in the result announced at the end of the exercise.
The verified signatories fell 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.
Thus, the embattled 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.