"Dino Melaye is the same person as Dino Daniel Melaye" - PDP Tells Kogi Election Tribunal

The Kogi state National Assembly election petition tribunal has been informed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Senator Dino Melaye is the same person as Senator Dino Daniel Melaye, contrary to the senator’s earlier claim.

The National Assembly candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Kogi West senatorial district, Smart Adeyemi, is challenging the credibility of the election which was won by Melaye and demanded that the election be canceled, Vanguard reports.

Legit.ng gathers that Melaye had in a preliminary motion claimed that Adeyemi was suing a wrong person at the tribunal and asked the tribunal to dismiss the latter’s application.

According to Melaye, Adeyemi addressed the wrong person by describing him as Senator Dino Melaye in the petition.

Senantor Melaye said his name is Dino Daniel Melaye.

Melaye in the motion said: “Take notice, 1st respondent (Melaye) shall before or at the hearing of the petition, urge this honourabIe tribunal by way of preliminary objection seek to dismiss or strike out the petition for being grossly incompetent, thereby depriving the tribunal of jurisdiction to entertain same.

“Take further notice that the 1st respondent (Melaye) as stated herein is not a party interested in the election petition. The person sued as 1st respondent herein is not the person who was returned as winner of the election, the subject matter of this petition.

“The person who was returned as the winner of the election, the subject matter of this petition, is Melaye Daniel Dino, and not Senator Dino Melaye, contrary to the mandatory provision of paragraph 4(1) (a) of the 1st Schedule to the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).”

When he was being cross-examined, the administrative secretary of the PDP, Isa Balarabe, was accosted with the tax clearance Melaye used to fill his party nomination form, which read Dino Melaye.

Balarabe confirmed that Dino Melaye is the person known to the party and the same person as Dino Daniel Melaye.

The tribunal adjourned to June 20, 2019 for continuation of hearing.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, expressed confidence in winning the state governorship election.

The governor spoke at the Kebbi governors lodge in the Asokoro area of Abuja on Sunday, June 9.