Melaye loses at appeal court

The appeal court has affirmed the decision of the election petition tribunal sacking Dino Melaye as senator representing Kogi west. 

The court ordered the conduct of a fresh election in the zone.

Melaye, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had filed three appeals asking the court to set aside the majority decision of the tribunal, which voided his electoral victory, on the grounds of denial of fair hearing and refusal to evaluate evidence adduced during the hearing.

He claimed the tribunal erred when it hinged its judgement on over-voting resulting from the number of permanent voter cards rather than the voter register.

Smart Adeyemi, his challenger and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), asked the court to dismiss the appeals because Melaye was not denied fair hearing.

He said the tribunal based its findings on over-voting on a report of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which contained the number of collected voter cards unit by unit.

Melaye acknowledged his loss on Twitter.

“I just lost my election at the appeal court. 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,” he tweeted.