Dino Melaye vs Smart Adeyemi – tribunal rehears petitions today in Lokoja

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The National Assembly Petitions Tribunal will reconvene today August 18 for the rehearing of Senator Smart Adeyemi’s appeal against March 28 winner-declared by INEC, Senator Dino Melaye.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senatorial candidate, Smart Adeyemi has been referred back to the tribunal for the retrial of his election petition against Senator Melaye in the Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, the state capital.

INEC originally announced Dino Melaye winner of the election with 41,120 votes. Smart Adeyemi of the PDP had 38,148 votes at the March 28 National Assembly polls for Kogi West Senatorial district.

The Appeal Court in Abuja on August 1st ordered the retrial of the Kogi-West Senatorial district election after his petition was dismissed by tribunal citing lack of merit in June.

Earlier, Senator Adeyemi filed the petition, alleging that the election was fraught with irregularities, filed the petition and insists Senator Melaye was not a true winner of the contest.

He further sought the tribunal to order INEC to conduct another election, or declare him, instead, as the authentic winner.

While, Senator Melaye, who was favoured in his request of the Election Petition Tribunal to strike out the petition of Senator Smart Adeyemi, who challenged his victory as winner of the Kogi West Senatorial election, arguing that the pre-hearing motion was filed by the petitioner a day after the deadline.

With 120 days after the Kogi-West Senatorial district election since March 28, the petitioner, Senator Adeyemi has less than 70 days for contest sitting Senator Dino Melaye’s victory.

With the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), giving aggrieved candidate 180 days to legally fight for their lost mandate, else remain disqualified.