Kogi: ‘Frustrated’ Dino Melaye Will Lose Again, APC Tells PDP

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday said Senator Dino Melaye and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have already lost the Kogi West supplementary election.

Naija News reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, November 30, for the conduct of the Kogi West supplementary rerun election.

Recall that INEC had declared the Kogi West Senatorial Rerun inconclusive.

The senatorial election which was held last Saturday, November 16, 20019, was been contested by twenty-four candidate with Melaye and Smart Adeyemi of the APC leading as the major candidates.

Naija News reports that the election was marred by violence and ballot box snatching.

Announcing results, the returning officer of the election, Olayinde Lawal, said the margin between the two leading candidates is lesser than the cancelled votes.

Lawal said while Adeyemi polled a total of 80,118 votes, Dino Melaye had 59,548, leaving a margin of 20,570.

He said 43,127 votes were cancelled across the seven LGAs where the election held.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC said Kogi electorate resisted and frustrated Dino Melaye and the PDP’s plan to rig the rerun election for the Senatorial seat.

According to the APC, “The PDP has predictably gone to town with the usual lamentations on the forthcoming supplementary election. The PDP has even threatened to boycott the election. Who is fooling who?

“Nobody is fooled by the PDP’s statement boycotting the supplementary election. The All Progressives Congress (APC) will not drop its guard in our quest to get a clear majority of the remaining votes in the affected units.

“Why should the supplementary election be cancelled as being demanded by the PDP? Is it because the PDP has already lost the election?

“As the wide margin of valid votes from the November 16 exercise show, it is clear that Dino Melaye and the PDP have lost the election. PDP’s doomsday will surely not be postponed a second time. Come November 30, the APC candidate, Senator Smart Adeyemi will reclaim his earlier stolen mandate.

“How many times does the PDP need to be reminded that APC has not and will not copy the PDP’s inglorious tactics of using state institutions, particularly INEC, the judiciary and security agencies to manipulate the electioneering process?”

The nation’s ruling party said Kogi electorate have decidedly rejected individuals who sacrificed national interest to achieve their selfish political agenda.

“Nigerians will recall the lead roles Senator Dino Melaye played in frustrating the 2019 budget, legislative approval for INEC’s election budget, and executive interventions requiring Senate approvals.

“Commendably, those days are gone as the Nigerian electorate have thrown out the unpatriotic and sabotaging legislators.

“The National Assembly and the executive now enjoy a cordial relationship that ensures good governance and brings dividends to the people,” APC added.