Melaye: INEC Fixes Date For Kogi West Rerun Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 16th to hold the Kogi West Senatorial rerun election.

Naija News reports that the major contenders for the rerun election would be Senator Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Smart Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement on Monday, INEC’s Chairman of Information and Voter Committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed that the election will hold alongside the Kogi State governorship election.

Okoye also said that another by-election for the Sabuwa State Constituency in Katsina State would hold on November 30.

He urged candidates and political parties to conduct issue-based campaigns.

“We also enjoin stakeholders to eschew violence and avoid acts capable of creating apprehension or a sense of fear before, during and after the elections,” the INEC Commissioner said.

Naija News had reported earlier that Dino Meaye lost his appeal on the tribunal judgment that sacked him as a senator two months ago.

This online news platform recalls that the Kogi State National Assembly/State Assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, nullified Senator Melaye’s election in August.

Senator Melaye was declared the winner of the Kogi West Senatorial election by INEC in February.

The results declared by INEC showed that Melaye, who contested the election on the platform of the PDP scored 85,395 votes to defeat Smart Adeyemi of the APC, who polled 66,901 votes.

Apparently displeased with the outcome of the election Adeyemi approached the tribunal which in turn, ruled in his favour on Friday.

A three-man panel led by Justice A. O. Chijioke in a unanimous judgment accepted Adeyemi’s ground and ordered for reelection into the Kogi West senatorial district.

Displeased with the judgment of Justice Chijioke’s led tribunal, Senator Melaye approached the Appeal Court to appeal the ruling.