Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West in the Senate has described the alleged double voter registration by Governor Yahaya Bello of the state as reckless, even as he asked the governor to resign.
Melaye, who spoke at a news briefing in Abuja, on behalf of some stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, said that the people of Kogi State and the party were dissociating themselves from the act and called on the governor to resign immediately or risk impeachment.
“This executive recklessness and impunity is what we are reacting to. We are saying that as stakeholders in Kogi politics and the All Progressives Congress, we condemn in its entirety the fraudulent behaviour of Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State.”
“Kogi people are responsible people and we expect to have a responsible governor. As at the time he was contesting that election, it showed that he was not a registered voter in Kogi state.
“Since he knew he was not registered in the state, why did he in the first place accept the candidacy of the party?
“So, on this note, we are calling immediately for the resignation of the governor.
“If he has integrity, he should honourably resign and if the governor refuses to resign, we are going to mobilize our members in the House of Assembly to start an impeachment process against him.
“We will do this because we have a valid point as expressed by INEC..”
Melaye said that besides the move for impeachment, Kogi citizens would be mobilized to stage a peaceful protest in strategic locations across the country should he refuse to resign.
He stressed that the people would be mobilized to INEC’s head office, the National Secretariat of APC and strategic locations in Lokoja to protest, adding that power belonged to the people.
The Chairman of APC in Kogi, Alhaji Hadi Ametuo, agreed with Melaye, adding that it was the position of the party.
“We know the law and INEC says it is criminal. We will abide by what Melaye has just said. That is our position.’’
The call for the governor’s resignation came on the heels of a statement from the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying Bello registered twice to vote.
INEC, in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Thursday, accused Yahaya Bello of double registration for Permanent Voter Card in contravention of the Electoral Act.
The statement was issued by Prince Solomon Soyebi, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee.
The statement noted that Bello had his first registration on Jan. 30, 2011 in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja and the second registration on Tuesday, May 23, at the Government House, Lokoja.
It further noted that the Government House was outside the designated centre for the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration.
NAN. [myad]
