How Dino Melaye Is Destroying His Own Fight To Return To Senate

Senator Dino Melaye is one figure Nigerians have missed at the red chamber and would love to see him back again.



Dino as he is fondly called grown thick skin against threats and barrage of attacks and indictments during his time at the Senate chamber.

Nigerians will never forget his courageous move at different times to speak to the power that be by lampooning every misstep of the federal government and he never fail as well to call out his state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello on numerous occasions due to what he described as 'anti-people's policy'.

Dino Melaye's eventual problems;
his failed recall, indictments, assassination attempt, the nullifying of his election by Kogi State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal and his subsequent failure to return to senate in the November 16, 2019 Kogi West Senatorial re-run election were all linked to his stands on what he tagged as 'truth' no matter whose ox is gored.

After he was defeated by his long time political enemy, Senator Smart Adeyemi, in the Kogi West senatorial re-run election in November 16, Dino has since embarked on legal battle to take back what he described as 'stolen mandate'.

How Dino Melaye Destroying His Own Chance At Tribunal

The ongoing legal battle of Dino Melaye appeared to be unorganized and lack of internal union between him and his PDP members in Kogi West.

In what appeared to be dramatic and surprise, Dino Melaye's witnesses appeared in one of the sittings and testified against him.

The first witness, Olurokon Wesley Kayode who hails from Etiaran compound in Egbe, upon cross examination by the Counsel to first Respondent, Barr. Chris, confessed that there was no any record of violence during the election which contradicted his statement of oath presented in the court.

Mr. Ayodele Olayinka Stephen from Isedo compound in Oke-Ere, Yagba West Local Government Area, also contradicted his statement of oath which claimed there was over voting. 

Three other witnesses, Mr. Aremu Abiodun Olusegun from Islanlu-Ipetu compound in Yagba West Local Government, Daudu Marcus Olusegun from Ijaiye compound in Egbe and Maiyaki Sunday from Odo-Eri, all contradicted themselves as they all claimed there was no violence and over voting during the rerun senate election.

In a more dramatic turn, another witnesses Marcus Olusegun, a teacher by Profession and Maiyaki Sunday, a business man confessed that they were contracted by PDP to examine the result of the election.

How did Senator Dino Melaye found himself in this mess?

 I don't want to believe that he has issues to settle with his witnesses and they chose to get back at him through their show of shame at the Kogi State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

Dino's Ambiguous claim at Tribunal To further add to his problem, Dino Melaye in the last sitting claimed to have visited all the 564 polling units on the election day. Such claim is unrealistic and ambiquous with the fact that there was restriction of movement on election day.

From Dino Melaye's home town in Ijumu local government area where he voted to Lokoja local government will take 4 hours to and fro because of the bad road, not to talk of other five local government areas, how did he cover it and visited all the polling unit?

 Dino Melaye's stand and claims of violence, and electoral fraud on the re-run election contradicted what his five principal witnesses earlier said.

The lead Counsel to Smart Adeyemi, Oladapa Otitoju, capitalized on this obvious contradictions, and he simply asked Dino if he was aware that his party agents had testified against his claim, Dino could not resolve the contradictions and he said his party agents cannot speak for him and he cannot speak for them as well.

Justice Isa Sambo led Tribunal, will consider all the contradictions, the evident and several claims to give verdict and decide the authentic winner of the November 16, 2019 Kogi West Senatorial re-run Election between Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Smart Adeyemi.

But Dino, a smart and intelligent Senator would have done better, he should have put his house in order before approaching Tribunal and the obvious contradiction that might pose challenge to him at the Tribunal would have been avoided.

Isah Bala

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