Kogi Rerun: Melaye Storms INEC Office With 21 Video Clips, Demands Cancellation

The recently sacked Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Dino Melaye, was at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja, on Wednesday, to demand the cancellation of the November 16 election in the district.

The lawmaker was received by INEC Secretary, Rose Orianran-Anthony and National Commissioner/Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.

The former chairman, Senate Committee of the Federal Capital Territory, was at the commission with 21 video clips containing details of violence and indiscriminate shootings by alleged agents of Kogi State government.

Dino told journalists that his determination to retrieve the stolen mandate “is a battle of no retreat, no surrender.”

The petition by Melaye dated November 18, 2019, and entitled: “A call for the cancellation of the Election for Kogi West Senatorial District held on November 16, 2019, in certain areas”, was filed by his lawyer, Tobechukwu Nweke.

Part of the petition reads, “In conclusion, sequel to the abovementioned spread violence, gunshots and killings, disruption of the election, snatching of ballots, multiple thumb printing, several electoral malpractices, irregularities and total sabotage of the electoral process cut across all the seven Local Government Areas in Kogi State which were demonstrated in the video footages attached herein, and the facts in paragraphs 1-5 above which reveals that the election was not conducted in Kogi State Senatorial District, in substantial compliance with the dictates of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) as well as the requisite Guidelines and Regulations issued for the election we urge the commission to cancel the entire election to the Senate of Kogi West Senatorial District held on November 16 2019.”

The petition was received by Okoye on behalf of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, he said the commission would look into the petition and take necessary action.