INEC Reacts To Low Turn Out During Melaye Recall Exercise

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it cannot be held responsible for the poor turnout of petitioners in Saturday’s verification of signatures for the recall of Senator Dino Melaye. The INEC Federal Commissioner in charge of Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa States, Mohammed Haruna, stated this in Lokoja shortly after the exercise on Saturday.

Haruna said that the main concern of INEC was to ensure transparency in the process, insisting that the organisation was neutral in the bid to recall Melaye from the Senate. “Turnout is not our problem; turnout is the problem of parties concerned, ours is to ensure transparency,” Haruna said.

Commenting on insinuations that INEC might tamper with the wish of the people, the commissioner said that nothing like that would happen, stressing that the agency had no interest in who won or lost in the matter. “Nothing untoward will happen, I assure you . Whatever happened at the polling units is what INEC will announce,” he stated.

Commenting on the mix up in the list of petitioners, Haruna said that mistakes in such exercise were normal, assuring that such mistakes would be corrected. He lauded the peaceful conduct of the people before and during the exercise.