LEGIT
Lokoja, Kogi state – Dino Melaye, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi state, has been accused of engaging in vote buying.
In a report on Thursday, November 16, Sahara Reporters alleged that Melaye, who came third in the poll, was angry and had asked some party members in the state for a refund of his money.
The report claimed Melaye, a former Kogi West senator, “shared out N250,000 per polling unit.”
The media platform further stated that the “breakdown of the PDP election expenses in the state showed that N87 million was budgeted for “voter’s mobilisation” – a subtle name for vote-buying.”
It further cited unnamed “top sources” as saying that Melaye’ was angry partly because he was allegedly defrauded by a PDP local government chairman, his campaign Director-General and others who failed to “deliver” the election for him.”
Dino Melaye reacts
In response to Sahara Reporters’s publication, Senator Melaye vehemently denounced the claims through his media directorate. He accused the online publication of siding with forces seeking to undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
The Kogi PDP governorship candidate refuted the vote-buying allegations, characterising them as unfounded distractions from the alleged electoral misconduct on November 11.
He, however, expressed little surprise at what he perceived as the All Progressive Congress (APC)’s attempts to cover up alleged rigging in Kogi state.
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