There was a mild drama on Wednesday as Senator Dino Melaye alongside leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi West Senatorial District, stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to submit additional petition on the conduct of the November 16 senatorial poll rerun in the district.
He urged INEC to shift the date of the election until it addressed what he said were noticed infractions in the November 16 election and concerns over areas where the supplementary election would be held on Saturday as announced by INEC.
Daily Trust reports that Melaye had on November 20 submitted a petition calling for total cancellation of the election, with attached 21 video CDs and documentary evidence to prove that there was no election in Kogi West.
The drama started when Melaye in a four-vehicle convoy got to the entrance of the Commission secretariat this morning and were denied entry except the Sedan that conveyed the senator, while others in the entourage and journalists were barred from entry.
After about ten minutes of heated argument between the senator and security men at the INEC entrance, Melaye, shouting on top of his voice, insisted that no person or vehicle will gain access into the compound until all persons in his entourage were allowed to enter.
Upon his insistence and the arguments, the security personnel get instructions, yielded ground and allowed his team into the waiting room on the ground floor.
The drama continued as Melaye refused to drop the petition at the dispatch desk, insisting to hand it over to a senior official of the commission.
A senior staff, Jafaru Leko, later met with the senator and received the petition on behalf of INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
In the fresh petition, the senator argued that INEC do not list for supplementary election, the entire number of polling units affected by pervassive malpractices and irregularities reflected in its announced results of the November 16 poll.
He gave instances of polling units where INEC previously cancelled election results but were not listed for the Saturday November 30 supplementary poll.
He said the rerun notice issued by INEC covering the entire seven local government areas as well as the details contained in the petition further amplify the pervassiveness of the malpractices and irregularities that marred the conduct of the November 16,2019, election.
In the petition, he said, if, however, INEC ignores the overwhelming flaws in the entire process and insists on conducting the supplementary election, due cognisance should be taken of the fact that the integrity of the figures that formed the basis of the rerun is questionable, untenable and unacceptable.
Melaye said, all these infractions put together shows that INEC as a matter of urgency must postpone Saturday poll until all these anomalies are rectified.
Melaye told newwmen that the election failed woefully to meet globally accepted minimum standard for credible elections as testified to by both domestic and international observers.
He said he was surprised that since the submission of the petition, there was no reaction or response from INEC except the notification for supplementary poll published on INEC website on November 21.
Melaye thereafter met INEC National Commissioner (Legal), Mrs. May Agbamuche Mbu, behind closed doors for about one hour before departing the commission’s headquarters.
The delegation that accompanied Melaye to INEC headquarters include: Prince Olusola Akanmode, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Barrister Shola Ojo, former member of House of Reps and former Secretary to Kogi State Government; Hon. Sani Ahmadu, also a former Kogi SSG; Hon. Abdulganiyu Salaudeen, former Chairman, Yagba West LGA; Barrister Alfred Bello, former Member, Kogi State House of Assembly and Barrister Kola Ojo, PDP Kogi State Vice Chairman, among others.
