The verification exercise as part of processes for the recall of Sen. Dino Melaye representing Kogi West Senatorial District began peacefully on Saturday, but with low turnout.
The verification exercise was organized by INEC to authenticate signatures of voters seeking the recall of Sen. Dino Melaye (APC/Kogi West), and has witnessed a low turnout in most parts of Lokoja.
Correspondents monitoring the exercise in the Kogi capital, report that most of the polling units were empty, with some people claiming that they were not aware of the exercise.
Journalists who monitored the exercise, which started at 8.00 a.m. in the two local governments reports that less than 20 per cent of petitioners had come out as at mid-day.
At most polling units in Ward 1 of Odo Egbe, INEC officials told Newsmen that less than 20 voters had shown interest in the exercise. They said that many people were not interested in the recall process.
Miss Felicia Adebayo, a voter, who spoke with Newsmen, said that she came out because she was told that money was being shared at the polling units.
“I am told that money is being shared to those that come; I need the money because we have not been paid salary for a while,” she said.
Efforts to confirm the veracity of Adebayo’s claim proved abortive as no one was ready to react to it.
An INEC official, who craved anonymity, said that there was general apathy to the exercise. “Very few people have shown interest in the exercise; we have been waiting for people to come out but very few seem to know what we are doing here,” he said.
At Ukwo-Okoriko Compound in Koton-Karfe, Ward A, unit 003 with 440 petitioners, only 18 had their signatures verified at about 11.00 a.m.
The electoral officer, Musa Iliasu, said only 18 had been verified but added that it was only INEC that would say which signature was genuine or otherwise.
At the Ohogabi polling unit near the public tap, 500 petitioners out of the 991 registered voters, only 43 petitioners had their signatures verified by 11:37 a.m.
Similarly, in Banda, Lokoja Local Government, Oworo Ward 8, Unit 012 with 512 petitioners out of 1005 registered voters, only 40 were verified at about 12:09 p.m.
At Oworo Ward 8, unit 004 with over 3,340 registered voters and 815 petitioners, none of the petitioners had shown up for the exercise at the time of filing this report.
At Lokoja Club polling unit, Ward A, unit 016, with 875 petitioners only two had registered their presence at the unit and both complained that their signatures were forged as they were never part of the petitioners.
One of the petitioners at Lokoja Club polling unit Ward A, unit 016, Samuel Olukotun, threatened to sue the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allegedly listing him and his wife as petitioners in the recall bid.
Doris Ndakwo, a member representing Lokoja II at the State House of Assembly, said the process was new and people did not quite understand. She added that some people came out but could not find their names.
Ndakwo, however, commended the peaceful disposition of the people.
