Group writes INEC to recall Lagos lawmaker

A group, Amuwo Odofin Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum in Lagos, on Monday wrote a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to commence a recall process of their representative, Mrs Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, in the Lagos State House of Assembly.

In the petition, dated Nov. 2 and addressed to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and made available to newsmen in Lagos, the Group alleged that the first-term lawmaker is not accessible and has not represented them well since assumption of office.

It was reported that the petition, signed by Messrs Kingsley Nwanze and Gbenga Akinbinu, the Convener and Secretary respectively, is entitled “Notice of Petition to Recall Honourable Mojisola Kehinde Alli-Macaulay, Member Representing Amuwo Odofin Constituency I from the Lagos State House of Assembly.”

The petition read in part: “We appreciate your leadership of the foremost electoral body in Nigeria. We also know that there have been reasonable efforts in making sure our democracy works in line with best global practices.

“We are compelled by the gross misrepresentation of our constituency by Honourable Mojsola Kehinde Ali-Macaulay to write this petition. We hope it will receive the needed attention as required by Section 110 of the 1999 constitution as amended.

“The essence of a constituency is to ensure that there is uninhibited connection between the elected representative and the constituents.

“Unfortunately, our representative has been religiously inaccessible since she was sworn in on our behalf at the Lagos State House of Assembly.”

The petition said that the forum had painstakingly listed the grounds for which it would want the lawmaker to be recalled in line with the necessary provisions as required by the law.

It added: “We are stating emphatically that she does not have a constituency office as required by the law for almost two years of her four-year tenure.

“We are yet to hear or see a bill she has sponsored or supported since she assumed office. Such a bill that will add positive valves to our fives and by extension the people of Lagos.

“Her continuous representation of our constituency has not been in tandem with our collective aspiration as a constituency.

“Most of the issues bedeviling our constituency, particularly road and drainage infrastructures, have not received the needed attention from the Lagos State Government.

“It is saddening that our representative used COVID-19 palliatives as souvenirs during her last birthday party. Despite the suffering that ravaged the entire nation during the pandemic.”

According to it, the lawmaker has consistently refused to give an account of her stewardship since she assumed office and has remained inaccessible and that the few times she visited the constituency, it was in company of stern-looking military personnel.

The group alleged that the lawmaker had also brought global embarrassment on them during a recent Lagos Assembly plenary where she allegedly addressed Nigerian youths as drug addicts.

“To us, this is highly insensitive and inciting, knowing fully well that the nation is yet to recover from the destruction that pervaded the entire country.

“Summarily, leaving her to continue to represent us will dash our hopes of having a fair share of development in Lagos State,” the petition added.

The group, which sent a copy of the petition to the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Lagos and the Electoral Officer of INEC in Amuwo Odofin Local Government in the petition, submitted same to both INEC Offices in Lagos.