Senator Smart Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the stay of Senator Dino Melaye in the National Assembly as disastrous.
Adeyemi defeated Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in last Saturday’s supplementary election for Kogi West Senatorial District.
Addressing reporters on Sunday in Lokoja, the state capital, Adeyemi described Melaye as his political boy, saying although he brought Melaye into politics, his protégé unfortunately turned against him.
Adeyemi added: “Dino (Melaye) was insulting everyone that made him. Nobody is too big for him to insult; he was fighting people. So, I am apologising to President Muhammadu Buhari, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. I am apologising to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. I am apologising to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him.
“I am apologising to Governor Yahaya Bello, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. I am apologising to security agencies, who he has dispatched on several occasions, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. I am apologising to the people of Nigeria, Kogi State and Kogi West, on behalf of Dino, to forgive him. He was a disaster when he was at the National Assembly.
“I will bring development to my state and my constituency, by the grace of God. My victory shows that the people of Kogi West want progress and development. Dino never won any election in this state.”
This comes as Melaye said he will challenge what he called Adeyemi’s “temporal and evaporative victory” at the tribunal.
In a statement on Sunday in Lokoja, Melaye averred that “the victory attained by violence and fraud is tantamount to defeat… for it is momentary”.
The statement said: “It is not about Dino Melaye; it is about Nigeria and our electoral system. I stay the course… (it’s) not over yet.
“I want to specially thank God Almighty that He preserved my life after five attempted assassination, combined forces of security agencies, INEC, federal, state and local government powers.
“I was fought on land, in the air and spiritually. It was not about election but my life. God, I thank you.
“The reaction of men and women of goodwill all over Nigeria, especially the wonderful people of Kogi West, who truly voted for me, is a testimony that God is with me and with us all. I won the election and Adeyemi remains my political wife.
“The forces against me are not beyond God. People should not worry about me. I am fine and will always be. I just thank God that the plan to kill me did not succeed. A living dog is better than a dead lion. I thank God for life. My name is Daniel; I cannot fall or fail.”
