By Taiye Agbaje and Edith Nwapi
Sen. Dino Melaye, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Candidate for the Kogi governorship election, says his party will replicate the victory of Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan in the Nov. 11 election.
Melaye made the remark at the Appeal Court, Abuja, in an interview with newsmen shortly after the court affirmed the election victory of Akpoti-Uduagan of PDP as the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election held in Feb. 25.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-member panel, in a unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Hamma Barka, upheld the judgment of the state’s election tribunal and dismissed the appeal filed by Sen. Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The court agreed with the submission of counsel for Akpoti-Uduagan, Mr Joshua Usman, SAN, for being meritorious.
Reacting to the judgment, Melaye said the PDP would also win the forthcoming election in Kogi.
“What Nigerians should expect from the Kogi State election on the 11th of November is what the Court of Appeal has just done.
“It has shown that PDP is the dominant party in Kogi State and by the grace of God, the PDP will win that election.
“We will protect our election, we will protect our electorate and we call on Kogites not to be afraid because at the end of the day, every lie has an expiry date, just like the lies of APC in Kogi have expired today,” he said.
The PDP candidate described the election victory at Appeal Court as “victory for democracy.”
“First, I congratulate Barrister Akpoti-Uduagan, by the grace of God, Senator-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
“I also congratulate all justice seeking loving people of Kogi State.
“This is victory for democracy; this is victory for the people of Kogi Central and this is victory for the people of Kogi State;
“This is writing the wrongs in our society. And I want to assure you that the PDP is very happy with the judgment.
“The judgment of the trial court has been upheld by the Court of Appeal and this shows clearly that 2023 elections were manipulated, the figures were concocted and we are happy that this has been rewritten by the court and this has given total victory to PDP in the central .
“And we are also looking forward to getting same at the easter flank of the state. Kogi is PDP and PDP is Kogi and this judgment has proven so.
“We also salute the tenacity, the brevity of Barrister Natasha Akpoti-Uduagan. We salute her sagacity and we pray and hope that she will have a very successful tenure in the Senate.
“And I can assure you that she is going to make a very wonderful senator of the Federal Republic,” he concluded.(NAN)
