A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to serve Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, a recall petition, schedule of signatures attached to the recall petition and full list of all persons in support of the recall process in jute bags before the verification exercise.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, in his ruling on Monday, said that the recall process is a political question, which is beyond the court to deal with.
“The electorate voted the legislator into office; they gifted him with the office, they also have the powers to take away that which have been given,” he said.
Recall that Senator Melaye, had through his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, filed a suit at a Federal High Court in Abuja with No. FHC/ABJ/CS/587/2017 challenging the bid to recall him.
Mr. Ozekhome, thereafter, wrote to INEC informing it of the suit and asking it not to commence the recall process until the matter is heard.
The judge dismissed Melaye’s claim that the petition emanated from malice, bad faith, vendetta and against the natural justice.
He also dismissed the senator’s assertion that the the 188, 000 signatories to the petition contained those of non-existent, dead and forged” was hasty since he has not exhausted the INEC verification process for the signatories.
