Nigeria’s Senator Dino Melaye, loses senate seat judgement today at the Election Petition Tribunal. Formerly representing Kogi West Senatorial district he lost his bid to retrieve the mandate he once held.
Melaye contested under the the People Democratic Party in the 2019 general elections. An initial result gave him the lead following which he was sworn in. However, his main challenger, Smart Adeyemi of the APC approached the Election Petition Tribunal. An election rerun was conducted and Adeyemi won.
Dino petitioned the judgement but the tribunal today, struck out his petition as lacking in merit.
In a message to his supporters, Melaye said he did not expect to win but the he will take the case to court.
He therefore appealed his supporters not to be discouraged as there is hope in court.
According to him, “We shall overcome. Never expected Justice at this level…we shall laugh last..God is our lead.”
In another declaration, @dino_melaye reminded his supporters in Igbo language that:
“Mbughari Mbughari ka ikuku na ebughari odu igu:onaghi agbaji ya.
Meaning that “the wind no matter how boisterous it can only move the tail of a palm frond:it doesn’t break it….”
Dino started out as a member of the PDP but defected to the APC in 2015. In the build up to the 2019 election, he returned to the PDP following constant political confrontations with his state governor, Yahaya Bello.
He was the senate committee chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and later Committee chairman on Aviation.
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Trouble Everywhere: Dino Takes to Prayers