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Nigeria: INEC - We've No Request for Iyabo Obasanjo's Recall
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This Day (Lagos)
15 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008
Chuks Okocha
Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that there has not been any report or request for the recall of Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello as a senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District.
The commission said it is only her constituency that could make such a request. Making the clarification yesterday in an interview with THISDAY, the INEC Commissioner on Information and Publicity, Mr. Philip Umeadi, said: "For the records, no report or request has been made for the recall of Senator Iyabo Obasanjo.
"At the moment, there is none. Normally when such request was made. The commission would allow such request to pass through some processes.
"One of such processes is that INEC shall verify the authenticity of the signatures and the commission shall then decide on the outcome and if satisfied with the verification, will then proceed with the recall by fixing a date where members of the constituency will vote for the recall. But at the moment, no request on this has been made."
On Tuesday in Abuja, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Information, Senator Ayogu Eze, had said that it was not the duty of the Senate to fish out a member who did not meet the constitutional sitting provision.
By the constitutional provision, all members of the National Assembly are expected to have a minimum sitting provision of 181 days.
A group under the name of Egba-Lisabi Collectives had last week issued a seven-day ultimatum to Obasanjo-Bello to resign her membership of the Senate or face recall.
The threat was made by the spokesman of the group, Mr. Kayode Ajulo, threatening that "the seven days ultimatum also serves as notice to all the members of Ogun Central Senatorial Zone, the law-enforcement agents, print and electronic media and the INEC as transparent recall procedure is intended to ensure that every stakeholder in the procedure is carried along".
It was gathered that INEC had deliberated on many requests for recall of members of either the National Ass-embly or the State Assemblies. THISDAY gathered that two unsuccessful recall attempts were made within the period under review - one for Hon. Chinoyerem Macebuh and the other was the former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Hon.Simon Lolong.
Obasanjo-Bello has not been seen in the public since April 8, 2008 when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told an Abuja High Court that she was "at large." The EFCC had dragged her to court over her alleged role in a N300 million scam in the Federal Ministry of Health.
The Senate Health Committee, under the chairmanship of Obasanjo-Bello, had collected N10 million from the Ministry of Health for a capacity-building seminar in Ghana from March 16 to 20, 2008.
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She attended plenary last on Tuesday, April 15, this year, and she would have to stay away from the Senate Chamber till September 16 or thereabout to run foul of the constitutional provision.
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