As the recall move against Sen. Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi West) gathers momentum, he has said that the move by the electorate in his constituency will fail.
Melaye, who addressed his supporters in Kabba, Kogi state, on Sunday said his achievements in the Senate were enormous and as such the people of the constituency were solidly behind him.
Melaye, who later led his supporters on a peaceful march round Kabba town, alleged that the Governor Yahaya Bello, was behind the move to recall him,
The electorate in the seven local government areas that make up Kogi West Senatorial District on Saturday besieged polling units in the area to endorse the request for the recall of the senator.
They affixed the photocopy of their permanent voter cards to the recall form.
Melaye alleged that 30 of his supporters, who refused to be part of the move, were arrested on the order of the governor.
“Quote me, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has released N200 million for each of the seven local government areas in my senatorial district to facilitate my recall from the Senate,” Melaye alleged.
In his reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Petra Akinti-Onyegbule, described Melaye’s allegation as unfounded.
The governor and the senator have been at loggerheads in recent times.
The 46-year-old senator was born in the city of Kano and graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he bagged a third class degree in geography.
Melaye was a member in the House of Representatives, where he openly opposed President Jonathan Goodluck, calling his government the most corrupt one in Nigeria and the 2015 Senatorial election he was elected a member of the Senate from the Kogi West Senatorial District,
Melaye’s political career has not been spared of scandals and accusations and currently at logger head with the governor of Kogi state.
The process to recall the senator kicked off on Saturday, June 10 in all the seven local government areas of the district with hundreds of constituents queuing to sign the referendum.
Large crowds of people took their turns to sign the register and with their turns.
The local government councils in the area are Koton Karfe, Lokoja, Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Mopa Amuro, Yagba East and Yagba West.
