Dino Melaye reacts to Tribunal Sack over Election’s Petition by Opponent

The National Assembly/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lokoja on Friday sacked Senator Dino Melaye as the Senator for Kogi West. In its judgement, the tribunal ordered that fresh elections should be held in the senatorial district.

Senator Dino Melaye in his reaction to the news, Melaye  mocked his sack by the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal on Friday, saying that in any case, ‘there will be fresh election in Kogi West because he will be governor”. In one of his post on his twitter handle, he appealed to his fans not to be worried.

Melaye who is gunning for the Kogi governorship post in November believes he “will laugh last’, insinuating that his rival’s victory at the tribunal was pyrrhic.

He says, “he who laugh(sic) last, laugh best…KOGI Governor loading”, he said in a second tweet, in the aftermath of the verdict.

“On the issue of the Tribunal judgement. There is no cause for alarm at all. Even if it went my way they will still go to the Appeal Court. Our mandate can not be taken. We will get judgment at the Appeal Court. There will be fresh election in Kogi West because i will be the  Governor. For my Senate mandate no shaking,” he said.

Melaye was dragged to the tribunal by the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Smart Adeyemi. In the now annulled election, Melaye polled 85,395 votes, while Adeyemi scored 66,902 votes.

Adeyemi challenged Melaye’s victory on the basis  of irregularities, over-voting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

The three-man panel led by Justice A. O. Chijioke agreed with Adeyemi’s objections. In a unanimous judgment on Friday, 23^rd August, 2019, the tribunal annulled the election and ordered another election in the senatorial district.