April 28, 2018

Against apprehensions that Card Readers might malfunction and mar the recall process of Sen. Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi West), verification officers have confirmed their effectiveness in the exercise.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents who monitored the verification exercise in Lokoja and Kogi Local Government Areas on Saturday also confirmed adequate security and peaceful conduct of the exercise.

The polling Officer at Ukwo-Okoriko Compound, Ward A, Unit 003, Koton-Karfe, Musa Iliasu and Sen. Dino Melaye verification agent at the unit, Imam Sani said the cards readers did not malfunction throughout the exercise.

At Banda, Oworo Ward 8, Unit 012, Johnson Salifu also confirmed the functionality of the card reader.

However, he regretted that only 40 petitioners were verified out of the 512 that appended their signatures for the recall of Sen. Melaye at about 12:09 pm.

Patricia Aifakokhan, the NYSC Polling Officer at Lokoja Ward B sharing the views of her contemporaries in other units confirmed that the card readers functioned perfectly.

Aifakokhan said only 42 out of the 850 petitioners from the unit came out to verify their signatures.

NAN reports that the verification exercise generally witnessed low turnout as only nine signatures were verified at Lokoja Ward A, unit 015, Amole compound with 1461 registered voters and 450 petitioners.

At Crowther Memorial College, Lokoja, Ward A, unit 012 with 1507 registered voters and 805 petitioners, only eight came out to verify their signatures.

At Agbaja, Lokoja local government  some voters protested their  inclusion  on the petitioners’ list. They claimed it was done  without their consent and that their signatures were forged.

Administrator of Kogi LGA, Mohammed Tanko Musa, said he was impressed with the orderly conduct of the exercise adding that though the township witnessed low turnout, reports from the hinterlands would be different.