The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday urged Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court in Abuja to allow it serve Dino Melaye his recall petition through substituted means.

Background:

• Dimgba had directed INEC to resume the process of the recall of Melaye.
• He asked INEC to verify the signatures of the 188,588 registered voters who were said to have signed in support of the recall process.

What’s happening now:

• INEC’s lawyer, Olawale Ibrahim on Monday told the court that that all its attempts to serve the senator personally, as ordered by the court on September 11, had been futile.
• He urged the court to allow INEC dump the documents in front of Melaye’s office.
• But Melaye’s lawyer said the senator has been out of the country but will be back between September 25 and 26.
• He said Melaye has filed an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear INEC’s ex parte motion.

The judge’s submission:

• The judge noted to the parties that he could not take the “contentious applications,” given the tight schedule of the court in the week.
• He directed that INEC make “one more attempt at personal service on Melaye or through his counsel.”

Azeez