A TOTAL of 188,588 constituents from Kogi West Senatorial District have reportedly signed for the recall of Dino Melaye, a senator representing them, from the Senate.

Daily Trust reports that the recall process of Melaye began two weeks ago across the seven local government areas that make up his Senatorial district.

Melaye had since accused Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, as the man behind the recall move; an allegation that had been disputed by those close to the governor.

Ademu Yusuf, returning officer for the recall process, while announcing the result from the seven local government areas, said the collation was done on Saturday, June 17, in Kabba, the headquarters of the Senatorial district.

He said out of 35,331 registered voters in Yagba East, 18,374 had signed while 20,029 out of 35,966 registered voters in Yagba West signed the document.

“In Mopa-Amuro, out of 18,356 registered voters, 9,186 signed; in Kabba-Bunu, out of 60,522 registered voters, 28,277 signed. In Kogi, out of 46,810 registered voters, 27,703 signed. In Lokoja, out of 116,296 registered voters, 63,736 signed and in Ijumu, out of 46,819 registered voters, 24,283 signed,” he said.

Yusuf noted that of 360,098 total registered voters in all the seven local government areas, 188,588 had signed for the recall of Senator Melaye.

“Constitutionally, the requirement for the recall is 50.1 percent of the registered voters and we already have 52.1 per cent,” he said.

Pius Kolawole, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from Kogi West, while addressing the people from the zones at the APC State Secretariat, in Lokoja, on Monday, June 19, said the recall exercise was not about the APC family only.

He said the move had the backing of the electorate from all political parties that registered and voted during the 2015 election in Kogi West.

“Governor Yahaya Bello is our leader and our father; but let me tell you that he has no hand in the recall of Senator Dino Melaye.

“We asked the state government not to intervene in the matter because it is purely the electorate from the district who decided to recall him based on cogent reasons,” he said.— Daily Trust

—  Jun 20, 2017 @ 17:30 GMT