Kogi West: I’ll get justice at Appeal Court — Melaye

Former senator, Dino Melaye has reacted to the verdict of the Tribunal that upheld the victory of Senator Smart Adeyemi as the lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District at the Senate.

The State’s Election Petitions Tribunal had on Wednesday dismissed Melaye’s petition, saying he failed to prove the allegation that he scored majority of the lawful votes in the November 16, 2019, Senatorial Election in the State.

Shortly after the judgment, Melaye took to Twitter to address his supporters that he had not relented, and would be challenging the verdict of the Tribunal at the Court of Appeal.

“We actually did not expect judgement at this level but we know that by the grace of God, we’ll get justice at the Court of Appeal.

“I encourage my teaming supporters to be strong because the battle is a battle of no retreat no surrender.

“This temporary victory is very temporal and evaporative, we are getting there and we’ll get there…” he said

I never expected Justice at this level. But we shall laugh last. pic.twitter.com/XLV9xtDbRF

— Senator Dino Melaye. (SDM) (@dino_melaye) June 10, 2020

INEC declared Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the election having polled a total of 88,373 votes to defeat his main challenger, PDP’s Melaye who polled 62,133 votes.

Adeyemi was leading with 20,570 votes during the November 16 senatorial rerun election before the poll was declared inconclusive on grounds of winning margin between the two leading candidates.

The supplementary election was held in 53 polling units across the seven local government areas in the West senatorial district.

INEC’s decision to conduct a fresh election in the senatorial district was in line with the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by Senator Melaye challenging the nullification of his February 23 victory by the election tribunal.