Nigeria: Tribunal dismisses Senator Dino Melaye, orders fresh elections

The senator of Kogi West, Dino Melaye has been dismissed by the Kogi State National Assembly/State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, according to local media reports. In a judgment delivered on Friday, the tribunal led by A.O. Chijiok ordered a fresh election in the district.

Smart Adeyemi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 26 election, had reportedly approached the tribunal and challenged Melaye's victory on the grounds of "many irregularities and disorganizations that plagued the election."

There were "so many irregularities and disorganizations that plagued the election, which all created the perfect storm for the sinister activities that guaranteed the theft of the Kogi West mandate," Adeyemi who was the Kogi west senator between 2007 and 2015 said in an April 17 tweet.

"We've decided to fight the results of the elections in the tribunal court because constitutional injustices must not be allowed to stand," he said in another April 17 tweet.

We've decided to fight the results of the elections in the tribunal court because constitutional injustices must not be allowed to stand. pic.twitter.com/dYlOH9yCf3

— Sen. Smart Adeyemi, CON (@SenSmartAdeyemi) April 17, 2019

Dino Melaye has responded to the ruling saying that there is no cause for alarm at all, adding that even the outcome of the ruling was in his favor they would have gone to the Appeal Court.

"On Tribunal judgment. No cause 4 alarm at all. Even if it went my way they will still go to the Appeal Court. Our mandate can not be taken. We will get judgment at the Appeal Court. There will be a fresh election in Kogi West bc I will be Governor. For my Senate mandate no shaking," he said in a tweet in reaction to the judgment.

On Tribunal judgement. No cause 4 alarm at all. Even if it went my way they will still go to the Appeal Court. Our mandate can not be taken. We will get judgment at the Appeal Court. There will be fresh election in Kogi West bc I will be Governor. For my Senate mandate no shaking

— Senator Dino Melaye. (SDM) (@dino_melaye) August 23, 2019

Further details are awaited.

This is a developing story.