Fresh Trouble For Melaye As Court Orders Recall Process Continuation

A Court of Appeal in Abuja has given a ruling for the continuation of the recall process of Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West.

The senator had approached the appellate court in a bid to stop the
process after an Abuja Federal
High Court in September 2017 gave
the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) the go-ahead to
begin Melaye’s recall process.

In the latest judgement delivered on Friday, Justice Tunde Awotoye and two other judges ruled that there was no cause for action and the Federal High Court that adjudicated the case ought not to have entertained it in the first
place.

The Appeal Court held that Mr. Melaye’s claim was ‘hasty, premature and presumptuous’.

The court ordered INEC to continue
with the planned verification of 188,588 who reportedly signed petition for the recall.

Mr. Melaye is facing a recall by his constituents who in a petition on June 23 called on INEC to recall him.

Following the petition, INEC issued
a timetable and schedule of activities regarding the recall but the senator approached a Federal High Court to stop the process.

The court which initially ordered a suspension of the recall process in
September 2017 directed that the process should continue, after deciding that the application lacked merit.

Not satisfied, Mr. Melaye approached the Appeal Court to upturn the High Court judgement.

The court however ruled against
him.