Recall process: How Dino Melaye became the ‘Ghost of NASS’ on September 26 by Buchi Obichie (Opinion)

Editors' note: The writer, Buchi Obichie, recollects the events of Tuesday September 26, in which Dino Melaye evaded his own office, just so he wouldn’t be served with documents for his recall by INEC officials. She likens Melaye’s actions on that to a ‘ghost’ who suddenly vanished into thin air, and challenges the embattled senator to allow INEC proceed with the process, if really he has nothing to fear.

Have you seen ‘Agberos’ fighting? It’s an interesting spectacle. There’s always that one with muscle, eager to throw punches; and then, there’s the other one with the sharper tongue and quicker body movement, who threatens hell, but really can’t do much apart from shouting and then retreating behind others while declaring that he would “arrange am”, for his opponent.

Dino Melaye reminds me of the latter.

The flamboyant, controversial senator, has been in the news lately (but isn’t he always?), for his ongoing duel with his constituents; and by default extension, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

It is no secret that a process was initiated by Melaye’s Kogi-West constituents, to recall the senator from the upper legislative chamber.

After countless rants on social media, a few ‘home-made audio records’ which produced the hit track , ‘Ajekun Iya’, and worship sessions to his creator (against his enemies), plus a petition to halt the recall process, the fire-brand senator from Kogi finally got served- okay, he did not receive the documents eventually, and that’s the reason for this piece.

Stay with me.

So, INEC officials finally delivered the petition for the recall of Senator Dino Melaye, to the National Assembly on Tuesday, September 26, and they met his office under lock and key!

Melaye and his aides were nowhere in sight.

Actually, it was reported that the senator was in chambers when the officials arrived; but afterwards, he managed to pull a fast one on the INEC officials who had reportedly spread themselves around the NASS complex in order to 'smoke him out'.

Dino Melaye suddenly ‘vanished’ into thin air…he ‘ghosted’!

Now, as Melaye often does, he quickly dispatched his Counsel to fire off a petition to the Appeals Court; and voila, just like before, the process was suspended again, as INEC was referred by the High Court- which had asked them to proceed previously- back to the Appeal Court, because of the filed petition.

Did you get all that? Yeah, I know how you feel, its head-spinning for me too *phew*!

But now, I just want us to go back to the events of Tuesday, September 26, because it was a really interesting day afterall.

The episode was really funny to me, for 2 main reasons.

First, just a few days earlier, Melaye had mocked the process as being a "Made in Taiwan" exercise which in his opinion, had failed. He further threatened legal action against those he referred to as “induced petitioners”.

Secondly, the senator had presented a very cunning reason for refusing to accept the documents (before INEC invaded NASS).

According to Melaye, he could not be seen to be “aiding and abetting” illegality. He noted that the 90-day period for service of the petition had elapsed; while cleverly leaving out the fact that the process was suspended in the first place because of a petition he had filed challenging it, and that the presiding judge at the Federal High Court, had taken that into consideration and still ordered INEC to proceed- before Melaye recently proceeded to the Appeals Court.

Now, anyone who had seen Melaye in the days just before INEC called his bluff and stormed his office would have thought that ‘Oga’ was ready for fire. But alas, the events of September 26 only proved that Dino Melaye is simply skilled in the use of his ‘mouth’ and his ‘legs’.

Baba 'ghosted' on INEC!

For all intents and purposes, on the 26th of September 2017, Dino Melaye became the ‘Ghost of NASS’…all because he did not want to receive the documents from INEC.

But then, let’s ask- what is Dino Melaye really afraid of?

If it is really a ‘Made in Taiwan’ exercise initiated by his enemies, then he should trust that like all other ‘Chinco’ products, it would pack up and die a natural death, sooner than later.

Instead of ghosting on INEC like a physically-weak ‘Agbero’, Melaye should have strolled up to his office ‘like a boss’, and received the documents. Then he should have told the INEC officials- in slow motion for full effect- “I’ll see you guys in court”!

I know what you’re thinking- this lady has watched too many action films! Lol.

But really, that’s what I think he should have done. This continuous streak of racing to court to initiate petitions to halt the process can only go on for so long. Something's gotta give at some point!

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Come on Melaye, accept the petition.

You have nothing to fear…right? I mean, it’s just paper afterall, the courts are still ‘malleable’ *side eyes*, and the lord is supposed to be on your side!

This opinion piece was written by Buchi Obichie.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of NAIJ.com.

Watch this NAIJ.com TV video about the Dino Melaye recall process: