A former Senator who represented Kogi West in National Assembly, Dino Melaye has won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the Kogi State Governorship Election scheduled for November 11, 2023.
Dino polled 313 votes to defeat his closest rival, Jabiru Usman who polled 127 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.
A former Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi scored 77 votes and the PDP governorship candidate in 2019, Musa Wada had a total of 56 votes.
Dino will contest the November 11, 2023 poll alongside a former Auditor General of Local Government in Kogi State, Usman Ododo who is the candidate of the All-Progressive Congress (APC) in the state. The incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello had days ago endorsed Ododo.
Melaye recently fired back at Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State who laughed off his aspiration to succeed Governor Yahaya Bello.
Remember last week Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has hinted on possible internal politics within the party by some top PDP members to ensure Wike emerge the winner of the ticket.
Wike was also recorded saying, Senator Dino Melaye, who is a two-time member of the National Assembly does not have what it takes to vie for such a position.
The governor was speaking during a media chat with selected journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Wike said: “When you give Dino that ticket, you know he won’t win in Kogi State.
“Why would Kogi people say they would vote for a candidate like Dino? Are we joking?”
He said the mere fact that someone is from a place does not equate to electoral success if such a person contests an election.
“Dino does not have what it takes for crying out loud,” Wike maintained, adding that, “He knows me very well. He does not have what it takes to be a governor.”
