By Baron Ike
“I just lost my election at the Appeal Court and Fresh election ordered. In all things I give God the 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 above was how Senator Dino Melaye interpreted the Court of Appeal ruling on Friday that affirmed the earlier decision of the Kogi State Governorship and National Assembly Tribunal that invalidated his election as the duly elected senator for Kogi West.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified the election of People’s Democratic Party (PDP’s) Melaye and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh election within 90 days of its judgment.
The judgment was on the petition filed by Senator Smart Adeyemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 26 election.
Meanwhile, the INEC said it will explore the possibility of using the November 16 governorship election to conduct a fresh election for the Kogi West Senatorial district.
The INEC National Commissioner in charge of Kogi, Nasarawa and Kwara States, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this in Lokoja on Friday.
Melaye was declared the winner of the Kogi West Senatorial election by the INEC during the February 2019 general election.
The results declared by INEC showed that Melaye scored 85,395 votes to defeat Adeyemi who polled 66,901 votes.
Adeyemi later approached the tribunal to challenge Melaye’s victory and was declared winner 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, Melaye approached the Appeal Court to appeal the ruling.
The Appeal Court eventually upheld the judgment of the tribunal and ordered a fresh election within 90 days.