Melaye demands postponement of Kogi West supplementary poll
There was mild drama as Senator Dino Melaye, alongside leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi West Senatorial District, stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to submit additional petition on the conduct of the November 16 senatorial election rerun in the district.
He urged INEC to shift the date of the election until it addressed what he said were noticed infractions in the November 16 election and concerns over areas where the supplementary election would be held on Saturday as announced by INEC.
Melaye had on November 20 submitted a petition calling for total cancellation of the election, with 21 video CDs and documentary evidence attached to prove that there was no election in Kogi West.
The drama started when Melaye, in a fourvehicle convoy, got to the entrance of the commission’s secretariat in the morning but they were denied entry except the sedan conveying the senator. Others in the entourage and journalists were barred from entry.
After about 10 minutes of heated argument between the senator and security men at the INEC entrance, Melaye, shouting on top of his voice, insisted that no person or vehicle will gain access into the compound until all persons in his entourage were allowed to enter.
Upon his insistence and the arguments, the security personnel got instructions, yielded ground and allowed his team into the waiting room on the ground floor.
The drama continued as Melaye refused to drop the petition at the dispatch desk, insisting to hand it over to a senior official of the commission.