Dino Melaye: I gave PDP delegates ‘ANOINTING OIL’ to pave way for my victory.

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By Mary Ojiji.
Senator Dino Melaye, flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi state, has denied allegations that he bribed his way to clinch the party’s ticket.

Some aggrieved members of the party faulted the emergence of Dino Melaye as the governorship candidate for Kogi November 2023 election, alleging that Dino’s votes were a product of a tainted delegates’ list.

“Without an iota of doubt, I make bold to say that Senator Melaye’s victory is a pyrrhic one.

“The primary that threw up Senator Melaye was flawed; 158 delegates, who emerged from the state ad hoc congress of March 29, 2023, were replaced by the woeful Senator Abdul Ningi Congress Committee, working in concert with Melaye’s enablers within the party hierarchy at the highest level,” former Kogi Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi had alleged in a statement credited to them.

Tuesday evening on Channels Television Politics Today, Dino Melaye said the “anointing oil” he gave delegates “did the magic”.

When asked about the allegations that delegates were financially induced, he said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Crimes Commission (ICPC) knows more than he does.

He added, “I’m not a staff [member] of the EFCC or ICPC. I wouldn’t know if there was money shared. But if, at my level, I cannot finance a primary, then there’s a problem somewhere. But definitely, God bankrolled me. I bank with the almighty God.”

Melaye disagreed with claims that the delegates’ list was manipulated before the election, adding that his margin of win doubled the allegedly manipulated list that was replaced according to the complainants.

In the primary, Dino polled 313 votes to defeat his closest rival, Jabiru Usman who polled 127 votes, a former Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi scored 77 votes and the PDP governorship candidate in 2019, Musa Wada had a total of 56 votes.

The chairman, PDP primary Election Committee, Ahmed Makarfi announced the results on Sunday at the end of the indirect primary held in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.