Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye has alleged voters in his districts were tricked into adding their names to the recall register.

Melaye said this on Tuesday while speaking in his planned recall at plenary.

The senator raised a point of order accusing governor of the state, Yahaya Bello of sponsoring the recall process.

He also alleged that most of the signatures gathered as those of his constituents calling for his recall were forged.

[Read Also: ONLY LEGITIMATE COURT ORDER CAN STOP DINO MELAYE’S RECALL – INEC]

He said, “As I speak to you, I have over 120 death certificates issued by the National Population Commission and these people’s relations and families have sworn to affidavits and these certificates have been deposited. The names of the dead people appeared on the recall register submitted to INEC.

“Also, 116 of my constituents have sworn to affidavits that their names and signatures appeared in the recall register and they were not the ones that signed it.

“Also, 86 of my constituents have sworn to affidavits that they were approached that the government wanted to carry out a fertiliser empowerment programme and requested their Permanent Voter Cards and thereby deceived them into putting their names in the recall register.”

In his remarks, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, cited parts of the constitution, particularly sections 68 and 69, and accused INEC of not following the laid down procedures in carrying out the exercise.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly alleged that the electoral umpire was incurring extra-budgetary spending on Melaye’s recall.

Azeez