Kogi: Dino, Abubakar protest Wada’s victory

By Lateef Ibrahim

Two of the aspirants who participated in the Kogi governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), held Wednesday in Lokoja, Senator Dino Melaye and Abubakar Ibrahim, son of former Kogi state governor, Ibrahim Idris, have petitioned the PDP’s appeal panel over the declaration of Engineer Musa Wada as the party’s candidate for the governorship poll scheduled for November 16.
Senator Melaye, representing Kogi West District and Mr Abubakar, made their reservations known yesterday when they met with the National Working Committee of the PDP separately, behind closed doors, at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja.
Engr. Wada, who polled 748 was declared winner of the PDP primaries by the Governor Umaru Fintiri led PDP committee in Lokoja, Kogi State.
While Abubakar polled 710 votes to finish as runner up, Senator Dino got 70 votes to finish fourth.
Reacting to the outcome of the primaries, Senator Melaye faulted the exercise on the ground that the votes cast in his favour by delegates were not counted before gunmen disrupted the exercise, which held at the Lokoja Township stadium.
In his petition to the National Secretary of the party, Senator Ibrahim Tsauri, Melaye questioned why only votes from two (2) out of ten (10) ballot boxes were counted for him in the just concluded primaries.
Similarly, Abubakar questioned the credibility of the process that threw up Engr Wada as the party’s governorship flag bearer.
Wada was however sighted at the party’s secretariat, accompanied by a mammoth crowd of supporters and political associates.
Meanwhile Engr. Wada and the party’s governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri will today be presented with their certificates of returns by the PDP today.
The ceremony is billed for 10am at the party’s headquarters, Wadata House, Abuja.