Senator Dino Melaye has mocked his sack by the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal on Friday, saying that in any case, ‘there will be fresh election in Kogi West because he will be governor”.
However, while reacting to the verdict in several tweets on Friday, he said that he will appeal the the judgement and urged his supporters not to be worried because no one can steal his mandate.
Melaye, who is gunning for the Kogi governorship post in November believes he “will laugh last’, insinuating that his rival’s victory at the tribunal was pyrrhic.
“He who laugh(sic) last, laugh best…KOGI Governor loading”, he said in a second tweet, in the aftermath of the verdict.
“On Tribunal judgement. No cause 4 alarm at all. Even if it went my way they will still go to the Appeal Court. Our mandate can not be taken. We will get judgment at the Appeal Court. There will be fresh election in Kogi West bc I will be Governor. For my Senate mandate no shaking,” he said.
Melaye was dragged to the tribunal by the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Smart Adeyemi.
In the now annulled election, Melaye polled 85,395 votes, while Adeyemi scored 66,902 votes.
But Adeyemi challenged Melaye’s victory on three grounds of irregularities, over-voting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The three-man panel led by Justice A. O. Chijioke agreed with Adeyemi’s objections.
In a unanimous judgment on Friday, the tribunal annulled the election and ordered another election in the senatorial district.
