Fresh confusion after 188,588 constituents signed for Dino’s recall

Blame game, denials and doubts have already set in in the recall process of Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West). Contrary to claims by those handling the process that everyone in the senatorial district is in support of the move, the Peoples Democratic P

notifying him of receipt of a petition from his constituents seeking his recall.

INEC National Commissioner, Malam Mohammed Haruna, told newsmen in Abuja that the management of INEC considered the petition submitted by some registered voters from Kogi West Senatorial District to start the process of recalling Senator Melaye.

But given the cumbersome processes involved in recalling a senator as contained in INEC's guidelines vis-a-vis the political intrigues and power play, legal experts and pundits are of the view that the exercise would not be a tea party to sail through.

A lawyer, Barrister Joel Usman, said a senator or any member of the national or state assembly could be recalled by constituents given the provisions of the Constitution, but that the cumbersome processes and requirements often made such exercise a futility in most of the cases.

"A recall is like an election. Before you say you are representing a constituency or senatorial district in the National Assembly, you would have to be first elected to represent the people. After electing you as a senator, which is a vote of confidence, if the representative fails to represent the people well, the people have the right to recall such a senator back and reelect someone else.

"However, with particular reference to Senator Dino Melaye, the first question we need to ask ourselves is whether it is those who elected Dino to represent them at the Senate that are asking him to come back because they have lost confidence in him,” he said.

"This question comes up because I have watched on the television a situation where some of the people he is representing passed vote of confidence on him and the party that sponsored him has also passed a vote of confidence on him. So, is it the people that are really seeking for his recall or there are some external forces?" he said.

Political pundits are also of the views that given the cordial relationship that exists between the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Dino Melaye, there would be a strong opposition to the move to recall Dino.

Dino has been a strong ally and loyal supporter of Saraki, especially during his ordeal at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) before he was recently acquitted and discharged.