Dino Melaye Reacts Appeal Court Ruling On Kogi West Election

Senator Dino Melaye, representing Kogi West at the Nigerian Senate, has called on his “supporters to be law-abiding” in reaction to the judgment of the Appeal Court which nullified his election.

The Kogi West lawmaker lost his appeal on the tribunal judgment that sacked him as a senator two months ago.

This online news platform recalls that the Kogi State National Assembly/State Assembly election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, nullified Senator Melaye’s election in August.

Senator 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.

Reacting in a tweet on the micro-blogging site, Twitter after the judgment on Friday, Senator Melaye said: “I just lost my election at the Appeal Court and Fresh election ordered. In all things, I give God Praise. He who started a good thing will definitely complete it.

“I ask my supporters to be law-abiding as we shall always overcome. To God be the Glory,” the senator tweeted.

Senator Dino Melaye. (SDM)@dino_melaye

I just lost my election at the Appeal Court and Fresh election ordered. In all things, I give God Praise. He who started a good thing will definitely complete it. I ask my supporters to be law-abiding as we shall always overcome. To God be the Glory.