Following the sack of Dino Melaye, the Senator representing Kogi West in Kogi State by the Appeal Court on Friday, the Senator has lost his seat in the Red Chambers.
The National Assembly Elections Tribunal had on August 23 nullified Melaye’s election and ordered Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh election in the senatorial district.
In a tweet on his official Twitter handle, Melaye said that the appellate court had ordered fresh elections in his senatorial constituency.
He, therefore, called on his supporters to be law-abiding and assured them that they would overcome.
Melaye tweeted, “I just lost my election at the Appeal Court and Fresh election ordered. 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.”
Mr Melaye’s closest rival, Smart Adeyemi of the APC, had challenged his victory at the tribunal.
The Appeal Court had on September 24 reserved judgment in the three separate appeals filed by Mr Melaye.
The three appeals were filed by the PDP and Mr Melaye, praying the appellate court to set aside the majority decision of the tribunal which voided the election of Mr Melaye.
The PDP, represented by Jubrin Okutepa, SAN, in his final argument had prayed the Justice Abubakar Datti Yahaya-led panel to set aside the majority decision of the tribunal against Mr Melaye on the ground of denial of fair hearing and refusal to evaluate the evidence adduced during the hearing.
The party averred that the tribunal failed to evaluate the testimonies of its witnesses while no reference was made to all the documentary evidence it supplied before the tribunal came to a wrong conclusion of over-voting, even when the petitioner did not tender voter register.
The PDP further claimed that the tribunal turned the head of natural justice upside down when it based over voting used in cancelling the senatorial election on the number of collected permanent voter cards rather than voter register as required by law.
