Kogi Guber: Dino Melaye Rejects Result Of PDP Primary

Some aspirants are protesting against the declaration of Mr. Musa Wada as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Nov. 16 governorship election in Kogi State.

The Chairman of the governorship primary election committee, Ahmadu Fintiri, told newsmen on Wednesday in Lokoja that Wada emerged by polling 748 votes to beat 12 other aspirants.

Solacebase recalled that after the count of 8 ballot boxes out of 10 used for the primary election around 1.30am on Wednesday suspected hoodlums stormed the venue shooting sporadically and the Chairman of the governorship primary election committee and governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Fintiri escaped with the aid of his security details.

Fintiri, who is the Governor of Adamawa, also disclosed that another aspirant, Abubakar Ibrahim, polled 710 votes to come second, while former Gov. Idris Wada came third with 345.

Other aspirants and their scores as announced by Fintiri were Sen. Dino Melaye, 70 votes, Aminu Abubakar Suleiman, 55, Victor Adoji, 54, Erico Ahmeh, 42, AVM Salihu Atawodi (rtd), 11, Mohamed Shaibu, 4, Bayo Averehi, 2, Emmanuel Omebije, 9 and Mrs Grace Adejoh polled 0.

The committee chairman said that he decided to announce the results, having been satisfied that the conduct of the primaries had complied substantially with the provisions of the party’s constitution.

He said that 2,388 delegates were accredited for the election while 2,109 votes were cast. He also said that 54 voided votes were recorded, with 244 unused ballots, while 247 ballot papers could not be accounted for.

But Melaye expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct and the outcome of the election.

He claimed that the winner was allowed to bring over 600 votes from his house which, he said, the committee accepted and counted in his favour.

Melaye, who spoke through his agent, Mr Femi Obalemo, said that he would appeal the decision of the committee.

Also speaking, Ibrahim, who came second, said that the winner defeated him with 38 votes, which, he said, was not up to the missing 247 ballot papers.

He expressed the confidence that if the missing ballot papers could be recovered, he would emerge the winner.

Wada, who was declared winner, appealed to other contestants to accept the result in good faith and in the interest of the party, promising to carry them along in all the processes leading to the real election.

NAN