No cause for alarm over tribunal judgement – Dino Melaye

Senator Dino Melaye has said he is unbothered after he was sacked by the Kogi state national assembly/state assembly election tribunal as the senator representing Kogi west senatorial district.

“On Tribunal judgment. No cause 4 alarm at all,” Melaye said on Friday.

“Even if it went my way they will still go to the Appeal Court.”

The election tribunal Friday nullified the election of Senator Dino Melaye. Melaye, a candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the February 2019 election.

His victory was challenged in court by Smart Adeyemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Adeyemi challenged Melaye’s victory on the grounds of irregularities, over voting and non-compliance with the electoral acts.

The three-man panel led by Justice A. O. Chijioke in a unanimous judgment accepted Adeyemi’s grounds and ordered reelection.

Melaye, however, insisted that he is unshaken by the tribunal’s judgment. He said that his mandate cannot be taken. The sacked senator also declared that he will appeal the tribunal’s judgment.

He affirmed his bid to contest the state’s governorship election which he had earlier declared for in June.

“There will be a fresh election in Kogi West bc (sic) I will be Governor,” Melaye said.

“For my Senate mandate no shaking.”