The Kogi West Senatorial District chapter of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of ‘falsely’ using their data and signature for the failed recall process of Dino Melaye, senator representing the district at the national assembly, conducted on April 28, 2018.
The party said it has resolved to sue the electoral commission for such act.
According to a communique signed by Taiwo Kola-Ojo, Kogi West PDP senatorial chairman, at the end of a special meeting held in Kabba, members of the party expressed disappointment that though they did not sign the petitions against Dino Melaye, they were shocked to discover that their data and signatures were displayed during the verification exercise.
While asking for a criminal prosecution of all those involved in signature forgery and in the presentation of deceased persons as sponsors of Melaye’s recall, they argued that the manipulations inherent in the exercise was a sign-post to a pilot scheme for perfecting rigging during the impending general elections in the country.
To this end, they have served a notice to INEC to be ready to defend its “negligence of duty, conspiracy and wasteful application of public fund.”
Stating that the party’s action was not partisan but prompted by public good, members believed that the prosecution of “vote criminals and their collaborators” will deter future commission and prevent wasteful expenditure of public resources.
The communique further called on INEC to be more efficient in the on-going Continuous Voters’ Registration exercise in the state, “to prevent disenfranchisement of many intending voters who are still unable to register owing to poor access to registration machines.”