Melaye Reacts To Defeat: 'No Tension, No Pains’

Dino Melaye is a Nigerian politician, a Senator and member of the 8th National Assembly, representing Kogi West Senatorial district. Dino is a member of the People’s Democratic Party. He is currently the Chairman Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory Abuja. 

Senator Dino Melaye has responded to his dismissal as senator. 

Melaye said, “Court judgement is human judgment, I believe in the divine I mean God’s judgment.”

He added, “It is absolutely well. No worries, no tension, no pains. I celebrate God for he is always a good God. At the end, His name will be glorified.”

Prior to his response, on Friday, a three-man panel of justices of the appeal court led by Justice Datti Yahaya dismissed Senator Melaye’s application challenging the judgment of the Tribunal.

In a unanimous judgment, the court held that Melaye could not prove the allegations that he was not given a fair hearing by the Tribunal.

It, therefore, upheld the majority judgment of the Tribunal that the petitioner, Senator Smart Adeyemi, proved the allegations of malpractices, mutilation of result sheet, and over-voting.

The court also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in the district within 90 days from the date of its judgement.

Senator Melaye contested the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Senator Adeyemi was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The judgment was on the petition filed by Smart Adeyemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 26 election. Adeyemi had contended that the election be nullified on the grounds that there were cases of irregularities including over-voting and non-compliance with the electoral act.

INEC had declared Melaye winner of the poll with 85,395 votes to Adeyemi who polled 66,902. The panel therefore ordered that only a fresh election would settle the disputes that emanated from the conduct of the election.