[The Legislative Blog]: After 2 months of recess, NASS resumes plenary but not without some drama

It’s Wednesday, 26th September and as you go about your daily business, know that fire just landed on the mountain for one of Nigeria’s lawmakers.

Senator Dino Melaye is set to be a historical scapegoat in Nigeria’s political system. The National Assembly resumed its annual recess earlier today and as both houses began deliberations on important events that rocked the country while they were away.

In the upper chamber, Senate President, Bukola Saraki welcomed President Buhari back into the country, commiserated with victims of flooding in different parts of the country and ushered the lawmakers into the motions of the day.

While the deliberations continued, members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) busied themselves with dumping Senator Melaye’s recall document right out his office door. INEC’s decision to make from this move is far from spontaneous. A week ago, the commission requested the Federal High Court in Abuja to allow it serve Melaye his recall petition “through substituted means”.

Can’t blame them! The senator had been evasive for a while denying the commission the opportunity to serve the petition personally. The judge directed that INEC make “one more attempt at personal service on Melaye or through his counsel.”

On Monday, Melaye said “the window the constitution provides for the service of recall petition had elapsed and accepting the petition would be unconstitutional”.

[Read also: Why INEC cannot continue with my recall process – Melaye]

Unconstitutional or not, Melaye will now not be able to deny receiving the recall petition. Once plenary closes today, Melaye’s petition will be waiting for him and we’ll be watching to see how he reacts.

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