My recall process has expired – Melaye

Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi), said yesterday that the process to recall him has expired following the failure of INEC to conduct referendum within 90 days.

Addressing newsmen at the National Assembly, Melaye said as far as he was concerned, he was no longer facing recall threat.

“It is therefore crystal clear that by the provisions of Section 69(b) of the 1999 Constitution, INEC must act on the petition purportedly presented to it on the 23rd of June, 2017 by conducting referendum within 90 days of the receipt of the petition.

“In this case, INEC received the petition on the 23rd of June, 2017. The 90 days period as provided for in the constitution for conducting the referendum elapsed by effluxion of time on 23rd of September, this year,” he said.

He also said the petition to recall him purportedly exhibited by INEC in court was only signed by three persons.

Melaye, who alleged that the recall process was orchestrated by the Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello and Senator Smart Adeyemi, said he would drag those who signed the petition to court for forgery.

“I celebrate the obituary of the ‘made-in -Taiwan’ recall exercise, while sympathising with the induced petitioners, who will obviously face charges of forgery and other criminal charges before a court of law very, very soon,” he said.