A pro-democracy group, Concerned Nigerians, has demanded the prosecution of those responsible for forging signatures used to instigate the recall process of the senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Sen. Dino Melaye.
In a Sunday statement signed by Mr Deji Adeyanju and Theophilus Abu Agada, the Convener and National Publicity Secretary respectively, the group urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately commence the prosecution of the culprits to serve as deterrent to others.
The group said the process was “fraught with irregularities, manipulations and forgery”.
Read full statement below:
“We observed yesterday with dismay the charade called the recall of senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye.
The recall according to our team of observers who were on ground to witness the process was fraught with irregularities, manipulations and forgery.
We are calling on INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu to prosecute all those who played a role in perpetrating forgery and also conniving with the initiators of Senator Melaye’s recall to smuggle in names of dead persons and those who never appended their signatures to the purported list asking for the recall of Senator Dino Melaye as this portends serious dangers for the 2019 elections.
If Professor Mahmood Yakubu fails to do this, it will therefore mean he lacks the moral value to continue as INEC chairman since all these things happened under his watch.
We equally enjoin the electorates whose names were fraudulently included in the recall list to approach the Court for redress as our organisation, Concerned Nigerians is willing to provide legal services and other supports for the affected persons to get justice.
Most of the electorates we spoke with told us in confidence that they neither wrote nor signed the purported list calling for the recall of Senator Dino Melaye.
We are calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission to as a matter of urgency investigate and prosecute those responsible for the names that were smuggled into the list.
INEC and its officials must ensure such people stop making mockery of our democratic system and allow the people to freely make their democratic choice as regards who govern or represent them at all times.”