Senator Dino Melaye, the Kogi State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has announced that he will not contest the electoral victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the state election petition tribunal. The decision comes after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the APC candidate, Usman Ododo, as the winner of the November 11 governorship election in Kogi State.
Melaye, who secured the third position in the election, expressed his dissatisfaction with the judiciary, alleging that it is no longer an independent entity but rather a department of the APC. In a statement on Wednesday, he remarked, “Judiciary is no longer the last hope of the ordinary people; it is now a department under the All Progressives Congress. Why should any responsible person go to the tribunal when the APC has captured the judiciary? I have lost complete confidence in the judiciary.”
As Melaye refrains from challenging the election results, concerns about the independence of the judiciary in the political process are heightened. Further details on this development are expected to emerge shortly.