Dino Melaye Loses Appeal, Fresh Election Ordered
The Kogi State National Assembly/State Assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, nullified Senator Melaye’s election in August.
This online news platform recalls that Mr. Melaye was declared the winner of the Kogi West Senatorial election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in February.
The results declared by INEC showed that Melaye, who contested the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 85,395 votes to defeat Smart Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress (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.
However, on Friday, October 11, the Appeal Court maintained the judgment of the tribunal and ordered a fresh election within 90 days in the Kogi West Senatorial district.
