Senator's recall may cost INEC 'about 1 billion naira'

The recall of Senator Dino Melaye of Kogi West senatorial district is likely to cost the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about N1 billion naira.

This was disclosed by Prince Solomon Soyebi, INEC's National Commissioner on Voter Education and Publicity, while he was speaking to Seun Okin, a political correspondent, on Channels TV on Thursday, July 6, 2017.

He said after the verification, there will be another stage where a referendum will be conducted followed by a fresh senatorial election if the recall is successful.

Soyebi said that the senatorial election alone will cost the commission about N300 million to properly conduct.

When asked how much it would cost to properly execute the entire recall process from verification to election, he said, "about N1 billion".

To carry out the verification process, Prince Soyebi said, "We are going to every booth in the seven local government areas of that constituency."

Asked on whether it is realistic to be able to manually confirm every signatory to the recall, he said, "Anybody who has signed that petition is advised now in the interest of justice to go down to the local government area where he signed and then affirm that he signed."

ALSO READ: INEC releases timetable and guidelines for Kogi Senator's recall

He went further to say the identities of the signatories will be verified by checking their names in the register, matching it with their pictures as well as their signatures.

On the referendum, he said, "If more than 50 percent of signatories are verified, the next stage will be referendum."

When questioned about the lawsuits in court asking INEC to halt the recall process, Prince Soyebi said, "We are not unaware on notices being filed in court. And just as we have maintained, a notice does not constitute a stoppage; it's not an injunction on its own.

"There has never been a specific court order giving injunction restraining us from performing our constitution duties."

Senate President Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, described the recall process of Melaye as a waste of time at plenary on Tuesday, July 4, 2017.

This was after Melaye stuck to his allegations against Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, as the mastermind behind the process.

ALSO READ: Saraki, Ekweremadu say Senator's recall is a waste of time

The senator claimed, "As I speak to you, over 120 dead certificates issued by the national population commission and these people's relations and families have sworn to affidavit and these certificates have been deposited."

INEC,on Wednesday, June 21, took delivery of signatures from electorates in Kogi state for Melaye’s recall.

On Monday, July 3, the commission released the timetable and guidelines for the recall which will be concluded with the declaration of the outcome of verification by August 19, 2017.

A total of 188,580 electorates signed the recall register.