Segun Atanda/
Senator *Dino Melaye has been seen in a new video singing Abasi Ayaya, a traditional praise song of the Ibibio people of Akwa Ibom State.
NewsmakersNG learnt that Abasi mi ayaya means “My Lord is so good, so excellent.” Melaye allegedly released the video to celebrate the failure of his recall from the Senate by some people in Kogi West.
The bid to recall Melaye crashed when only 5.34 per cent of the total 188, 500 signatories to his recall petition were verified in an exercise held yesterday.
The result of the verification released early Sunday in Lokoja by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that 39,285 of the signatories were verified, out of which only 18,762 signatures were genuine.
The genuine signatories represent a 5.34 per cent of the total signatories to the petition, which fell short of 51 per cent or 98, 364 signatures required for the petition to sail through.
It was observed that the verification failed largely due to fictitious and forged signatures and names of dead persons affixed to the recall petition by its promoters.
Some electorate in the Kogi West senatorial district had on June 24, 2017 submitted a petition to recall Melaye to the headquarters of the INEC in Abuja.
One Mr Cornelius Olowo led the petitioners to submit the recall petition which alleged poor representation as one of the reasons for the move to recall Melaye.
However, the INEC’s presiding officer for the verification exercise , Prof. Okente Morthy of the University of Abuja said that the number of signatures verified fell short of the number required.
He consequently gave the breakdown of the results of the verification exercise which took place in 552 polling units in seven local government areas in Kogi West senatorial district.
The presiding officer declared: “I affirm that the information on verification of signatures to the petition for the recall of Senator Dino David Melaye of Kogi West Senatorial District has taken place on this day, 28th day of April 2018, and that the verified signatures is 5.34 percent of the total number of registered voters in the constituency and has, therefore, not satisfied a requirement of the law for a referendum”.
Here is the official results from INEC*
*KOTON KARFE LGA*
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS – 46,727.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITIONS – 24,459.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION – 2,566.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES VERIFIED – 2, 335.
*KABBA BUNU*
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS 59,319
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITIONS. 27, 910
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATARIES AT VERIFICATION. 2, 151
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATARIES VERIFIED. 2, O85.
*IJUMU*
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS– 46, 810.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURE ON THE PETITION— 24, 389.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION— 2, 811.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES VERIFIED.—- 2, 664.
*YAGBA EAST*
TOTAL NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS.—- 35, 329.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURE ON THE PETITION—- 18, 229.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION … 3, 580.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES VERIFIED…. 3, 506.
*YAGBA WEST LGA*
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS….. 35, 506
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION…. 19, 444
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION… 4, 221
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATARIES VERIFIED…. 3, 729.
*MOPA AMURO*
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS…. 18, 350
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION…. 9, 173.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION… 729.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATARIES VERIFIED…. 710.
*LOKOJA LGA*
TOTAL NUMBERS OF REGISTERED VOTERS… 109, 105
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES ON THE PETITION…. 66, 266.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATURES AT VERIFICATION…. 4, 810.
TOTAL NUMBERS OF SIGNATORIES VERIFIED… 3, 763.
FROM INEC: https://twitter.com/inecnigeria/status/990462850178142208
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