Tinubu wants to remove me from the senate because I supported Saraki - Dino Melaye

The Senator representing Kogi West district, Dino Melaye, has accused a national leader of the governing All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, of plotting to have him removed from the Senate for supporting Bukola Saraki to emerge as the Senate President.

Mr. Tinubu is believed to have supported Ahmed Lawan from Yobe State to emerge as Senate President, but Mr. Melaye, alongside other APC Senators, opposed the plan and succeeded in having Mr. Saraki elected instead.

Mr. Melaye said to achieve his aim, Mr. Tinubu has sought the service of the immediate past Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, to help source for a “friendly” judge at the Court of Appeal who will quash the election of Mr. Melaye and declare the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Smart Adeyemi, winner of the March 28 election.

Mr. Melaye told journalists in Abuja on Sunday that a senior editor with close ties to Mr. Tinubu has allegedly forwarded the legal brief to Mr. Adeyemi to look for a judge in the Court of Appeal that would “offer assistance”.

“I have no regret supporting Senator Saraki and my electoral victory was ordained by God and not by man; therefore, no mortal can reverse it,” he said.
Mr. Tinubu has however denied going after Mr. Melaye.

The Spokesperson to the former Lagos governor, Sunday Dare, said the accusations were simply “malicious lies”.
“They are all over the social and traditional media spewing lies and planting stories. We are not about that. Nigerians are not as gullible as they think,” he said.

Mr. Dare said Mr. Melaye chose to align with people who want to kill the APC, “and we wish him luck” adding, “but they will not succeed because the party belongs to the Nigerian people”.

He said the allegation against Mr. Tinubu is a continuation of the blackmail he has been facing of late, saying, “this blackmail like other ones will not work. It cannot stick. Adoke? Who is he? Tinubu cannot recall when last  he saw him or even spoke with him. Dino should look elsewhere for people to blackmail,” he said.

The Election Petition Tribunal in Lokoja had upheld the election of Mr. Melaye who was elected on the platform of the APC.
The Tribunal dismissed the petition filed by Mr. Adeyemi for lacking in merit.