JAMES FALEKE LAMBASTES KOGI GOV OVER FAILED DINO RECALL

Hon. James Abiodun Faleke.

The lawmaker representing Ikeja Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, has come hard on the governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yayha Bello over the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on its bid to recall Senator Dino Melaye, who represents Kogi West Senatorial zone of the state on Saturday.

Senator Melaye has been having a running battle with the state governor, who has been fingered as the mastermind of the recall process of the vocal Senator instituted by the electoral body following a petition by his constituents that he was not adequately representing them at the Senate.

Following this, the process had began, but not without legal suits by the embattled Senator to have the process of his recall stopped.

However, the process recorded a huge failure Saturday as most of the petitioners who were required to come forward for the verification of their signatures stayed away from the polling booths across the state.

This development has attracted divergent views from among Nigerians. According to Hon. Faleke, who is of Kogi extraction but representing a part of Lagos State at the House of Representatives, the failed process was the failure of Governor Yahaya Bello who promised to deliver votes in millions to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 but couldn’t garner 10,000 signatures across the seven LGAs of Kogi West Senatorial District to support his ill-fated recall of Senator Dino Melaye.

Hear him: "What an irony. Governor Yahaya Bello who promised to deliver votes in millions to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 but couldn’t garner 10,000 signatures across the seven LGAs of Kogi West Senatorial District to support his ill-fated recall of Senator Dino Melaye.

“I have been telling those who care to listen that Governor Yahaya Bello is not popular in Kogi State. The open rejection of his ill-fated Dino Melaye recall today (Saturday) is a clear testimony. Hundreds of millions of tax payers’ money wasted. So sad and unfortunate,” he stated.

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He said he could not but laugh at the outcome of the exercise, believing it is the people of Kogi West that have won as the recall project failed to achieve its aim.

“The people won. The outcome today (Saturday) is not just about Dino but the open rejection of the Yahaya Bello-led state government. Even in detention, Dino Melaye defeated them. It is a clear sign that Yahaya Bello is very unpopular in Kogi State.

“Governor Yahaya Bello is an unrepentant liar who should not be taken seriously. His recent claims on Channels Television are inconsistent and laughable. Good enough, the people know the truth,” Hon. Faleke said.

Meanwhile, in the same vein, a PDP member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Teejay Yusuf, who represents Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency of Kogi State that includes Senator Dino Melaye’s hometown, told reporters in Abuja that the process was a mere APC agenda, adding that it was disturbing that a party that promised progressive change was massively rooted in anti-democratic practices and mere manipulations.

“As a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and as a Senator, Senator Dino Melaye has fundamental human rights and the police must strive to acknowledge this,” Yusuf said.

He therefore advised the police and the Senator to explore some measure of compromise, while urging the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Kpotum Idris to ensure that his men did not maltreat the Senator.