Kogi PDP Candidate, Dino Melaye Angry, Seeks Refund After Sharing Out N250,000 Per Polling Unit ‘For Vote-Buying’

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, is currently infuriated and has asked some party members in the state for a refund after he shared out N250,000 per polling unit in last Saturday’s election, according to a breakdown seen by SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters confirmed that the breakdown of the PDP election expenses in the state showed that N87million was budgeted for “voter’s mobilisation” – a subtle name for vote-buying while N10,000 and N5000 were also voted for each Polling Officer and Assistant Polling Officer respectively in the election.

Top sources told SaharaReporters on Thursday that Melaye’s anger was partly because he claimed he was defrauded by a PDP Local Government Chairman, his campaign Director-General among others who failed to “deliver” the election for him.

“Senator Dino Melaye released N250,000 per polling unit for vote buying and he was defrauded by the Local Government chairman of PDP, his campaign DG and others.

“The money was shared for 14 people who gathered in Iyale at Hon Tom Zekeri house,” one of the authoritative sources said.

“He released N3,510,000 for thugs per polling unit in the name of local security; the money was diverted by a local government Chairman of the party called Alhaji Hussini Ejini. The senator is angry and asking for refund.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Usman Ododo, winner of the election after announcing that he polled a total of 446,237 votes, saying that it applied the “margin of lead principle” in announcing the winner.

According to INEC, Ododo’s closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), polled a total of 259,052 votes while Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored a total of 46,362 votes – making him a distant third.

Melaye had called for the “immediate cancellation” of the gubernatorial election in the five local governments of Kogi Central.

The PDP candidate had identified the concerned local governments of Kogi Central as Okene, Okehi, Ajaoukuta, Adavi, and Ogori/Mangogo.

“INEC must cancel the election in the five local governments of Kogi Central.  The election in Okene, Okehi, Ajaoukuta, Adavi, and Ogori/Mangogo is a scam coordinated from the highest level of INEC,” he had written.
Dino had alleged that results sheets were filled in Kogi State before the commencement of voting on Saturday.

He had said, “Result sheets have been written. There is a massive protest in Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State right now.

“The result sheets have been filled and tampered with already and people are refusing to accredit, people are refusing to vote and they are insisting that plain result sheets must be shown to agents in accordance with electoral laws.”