Ahead of the Kogi West senatorial rerun ordered by the Court of Appeal last week, the two actors in the race, Smart Adeyemi and Dino Melaye, have been trading words.
Adeyemi, who is a two-term former senator of Kogi West, said Melaye never won any election in his political career.
The former lawmaker, in an interview with our correspondent, accused the incumbent senator of allegedly manipulating his way into office using political thuggery and rigging.
He said, “This position has been proved right by last week’s decision of the Court of Appeal affirming the decision of the lower court, ordering a rerun of the Kogi West senatorial election.”
Adeyemi stated that no one could deliberately cast his vote for Melaye because the senator did not fit into the category of those that could earn the respect of any Yoruba man who valued morals more than money.
He added, “Besides, the Senate is meant for those who have proved their mettle in other areas before bringing his experience to bear at the Senate. Where has Dino ever worked to gather any experience?”
However, Melaye described Adeyemi as an expired product in Kogi West.
The lawmaker said his predecessor’s eight years in office was a curse rather than blessing to the district.
Melaye, speaking through his media aide, Gideon Ayodele, said, “The judgments in the tribunal and appeal court have not said that Senator Dino Melaye did not defeat him. Senator Dino Melaye defeated Smart in six out of the seven local government areas of Kogi West.”
According to him, the mandate is the people’s and cannot be stolen or taken away.
He added, “If we go to the election again and again, Dino Melaye will still defeat Smart Adeyemi.”
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