The Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday served Senator Dino Melaye with the recall notice from his constituency in the Senate.
INEC officials from the national headquarters of the commission stormed his office in the Senate in several Ghana-Must Go bags
INEC took the decision after it claimed that all efforts to serve Melaye with the recall notice has been frustrated by the controversial senator.
Melaye is the representative of Kogi West Senatorial District.
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Melaye had on Monday told journalists in Abuja that accepting any petition from INEC would be unconstitutional as “the window the constitution provides for the service of recall petition had elapsed.”
“It is clear that by the provisions of section 69 (b) of the 1999 constitution, INEC must act on the petition purportedly presented to it on June 23, 2017, by conducting a referendum within 90 days of receipt of the petition,” he said.
“The 90 days period as provided for in the constitution for conducting the referendum after our verification, elapsed on September 23, 2017.
“The time having elapsed, I cannot under the circumstance, aid and abet INEC to further infringe on the provisions of the constitution, which I have sworn to defend.
“The trial judge failed to respect that provision of the constitution when he elongated 90 days provided for, saying the process was paused when the interim order for maintenance of status quo was granted.”
The lawmaker said Mike Ozekhome, his counsel, had served INEC a notice to produce the said petition in the course of hearing “but INEC failed to produce the petition in court”.
“I have also instructed my lawyer to challenge the jurisdiction of the trial court to entertain an ex parte application for the service on me,” he also said.