BEVERLY HILLS, June 11, (THEWILL) – The process to recall Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi West, kicked off in full at the weekend all the seven local government areas of the district with hundreds of constituents queuing to sign the referendum on his recall from the Nigerian Senate.
THEWILL gathered that leaders across the seven local governments in the senatorial district met in Lokoja on Friday night to strategise on the ‘Dino Recall Project’.
In several polling units across the local governments, large crowds were seen taking their turns, with their Voter’s Card in hand, to sign the register.
The local government councils in the area area Koton Karfe, Lokoja, Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Mopa Amuro, Yagba East and Yagba West.
A massive protest for the recall of Melaye also held in Kabba, headquarters of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and others chanting anti- Melaye songs.
The protesters, including party leaders, market men and women and restive youth gathered at the nearby Kabba Township Stadium from where they afterwards proceeded to the INEC office, Lokoja, to initiate the recall process.
They listed 18 alleged offences against the senator.
Melaye was accused of failing in his promises to them and deserting them after the 2015 elections.
The leader of the youths in the community, Muhammad Danjuma, said, “We gave Dino full support in 2015 because we love APC and President Buhari.
“But now, Dino got there and has been insulting the President. He has shown no respect to the party, no respect to the National Leader, Bola Tinubu, and no respect to us.
“He abandoned us after the election and has not bothered to see us since. We have made many attempts to reach him but he refused. We are tired of his arrogance.”
A community leader in Odo Ere, Yagba West Local Government Area, Korede Alabi, described Senator Dino as lacking in class and a “garage guy.”
“He talks like a garage guy and our people are determined to recall him from that National Assembly,” he said.
“You can see the large crowd here. We sent signals to him but he has never been to this Yagba West. He nearly slapped Senator Remi Tinubu, wife of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. He must be recalled!”
One of the leaders of the recall groups, Pius Kolawole said: “We hereby give the Kogi State Government notice that we are going through with this and if they will not help us, they must also not try to stop us or put obstacles in our way.
“Everything the law requires to be done by the administration in Lokoja in aid of this process must be done with dispatch.”
One of the ward leaders from Lokoja LG, Hon. Ilujunka David, said there was no going back.
“Of course, we are recalling him. We have started sensitising because the electorate cannot have a representative that is far detached from them.”
Hon. Yomi Edward said: “We have already collected the materials. The summary of our grouse is he is misleading the purpose and trust of our votes given him by the electorate.”
However, reacting in a series of tweets, Melaye accused the Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, of budgeting N1billion for what he dismissed as an exercise in futility.
According to him: “Yahaya Bello: on recall of Dino Melaye, he is shooting the Moon and boxing the air.
“Spending over N1 billion tax payers money on an unproductive venture when salaries and pensions have not been paid is wicked.
“I will continue to defend the poor and defenceless masses of Kogi state. If I die I die. We must rescue the state.”
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