Politics

Melaye Recall: APC splits, deserts Gov. Bello

Published

8 years ago

April 29, 2018

Kogi APC has expressed delight in the failure of the effort to recall Sen. Dino Melaye representing the Kogi West Senatorial District.

The party’s state chairman Haddy Ametuo says “some ghosts “ initiated the recall process against Sen. Dino Melaye.

And amongst the ghosts will be key administration officials loyal to the party leader and Gov. Yahaya Bello whom Melaye said championed the recall.

The exercise conducted on Saturday had a low turnout of voters compared to over 180,000 people that signed the recall petitions last June.

“Melaye, the only senator our party has in Kogi State, won with 94.66 per cent leaving the remaining 5.34 per cent to the petitioners,’ said Ametuo in an official statement.

Ametuo believes the result has a lot of implication.

“The messages are very clear: that Sen. Melaye is the most popular senator ever produced by Kogi West,” the statement said.

Gov. Bello will have a hard time believeing this–because he once said Melaye has a bad past that keeps haunting him.

The unsuccessful recall, Ametuo said, is a sign of what to expect in the 2019 general elections.

“No amount of financial inducement and coercion will change the will of the people of Kogi State in future elections,’’ he said.

The APC CHAIRMAN commended the high level of neutrality and transparency displayed by the Independent National Electoral Commission and other stakeholders throughout the exercise.

“It gives us high optimism that future elections will be very free and fair. INEC therefore deserves commendations for the job well done,” he said.

Ametuo called on the petitioners and Melaye as well as his followers to embrace peace and heed the voice of God “ because the voice of the people is the voice of God.’’

He, however, insisted that the APC still remains the most viable alternative for good governance in the state.