Politics
SENATOR Smart Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the stay of Senator Dino Melaye in the National Assembly was disastrous.
Adeyemi defeated Melaye of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in last Saturday’s supplementary election for Kogi West Senatorial District.
He was declared winner in the Court of Appeal, which ordered a rerun, after getting 88,373 votes to oust Melaye, who got 62,133 votes.
The senator was declared winner on Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the conclusion of the supplementary poll.
Addressing reporters on Sunday in Lokoja, the state capital, Adeyemi described Melaye as his political boy.
The senator-elect promised to avoid any action that will tarnish the image of his constituency and the state.
He said although he brought Melaye into politics, his protégé unfortunately turned against him.
Adeyemi added: “Dino (Melaye) was insulting everyone that made him. Nobody is too big for him to insult; he was fighting people. So, I am apologising to President Muhammadu Buhari, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. I am apologising to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. I am apologising to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him.
“I am apologising to Governor Yahaya Bello, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. I am apologising to security agencies, who he has dispatched on several occasions, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. I am apologising to the people of Nigeria, Kogi State and Kogi West, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. He was a disaster when he was at the National Assembly.
“I will bring development to my state and my constituency, by the grace of God. My victory shows that the people of Kogi West want progress and development. Dino never won any election in this state.”
Also, Melaye said he will challenge what he called Adeyemi’s “temporal and evaporative victory” at the tribunal.
In a statement on Sunday in Lokoja, Melaye averred that “the victory attained by violence and fraud is tantamount to defeat… for it is momentary”.
The statement said: “It is not about Dino Mekaye; it is about Nigeria and our electoral system. I stay the course… (it’s) not over yet.
“I want to specially thank God Almighty that He preserved my life after five attempted assassination, combined forces of security agencies, INEC, federal, state and local government powers.
“I was fought on land, in the air and spiritually. It was not about election but my life. God, I thank you.
“The reaction of men and women of goodwill all over Nigeria, especially the wonderful people of Kogi West, who truly voted for me, is a testimony that God is with me and with us all. I won the election and Adeyemi remains my political wife.
“The forces against me are not beyond God. People should not worry about me. I am fine and will always be. I just thank God that the plan to kill me did not succeed. A living dog is better than a dead lion. I thank God for life. My name is Daniel; I cannot fall or fail.”
Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello yesterday congratulated Adeyemi on his victory in the Saturday’s supplementary election.
In a statement in Lokoja by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Onogwu Muhammed, the governor described the victory as a collective manifestation of intellectual, moral and cultural virtues, and a mandate given by the people of Kogi West.
He said the victory was a testament to the decision of the people of the area to move away from ineffective representation of the immediate past, for a progressive and development oriented one.
The statement said: “The APC as a party is particularly grateful to the people of Kogi West for their peaceful conduct at the polls and embracing the promise of the party to work assiduously to ensure development of the area and the state in general.
“Now that we are having all three APC senators representing Kogi at the National Assembly, my administration will work in synergy with them and other APC lawmakers to attract more projects to our state, to make life more meaningful for its citizens.”
The Nation
– Dec. 12, 2019 @ 16:09 GMT |
