Tribunal’s Verdict: Melaye Appeals Ruling.

Senator Dino Melaye has filed an application before the Court of Appeal to overturn the decision of an election tribunal to sack him.

Melaye has asked the Court of Appeal to confirm him as the winner of the election.

Last month, the Kogi State National Assembly/State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sacked Melaye as the representative of the Kogi West senatorial district in the Senate.

Melaye beat his closest challenger, Smart Adeyemi, and other candidates in the election that was conducted on February 23, 2019 for a second term in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly.

However, Adeyemi challenged Melaye’s victory on grounds of irregularities, over voting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

The tribunal agreed with him and annulled the election in a ruling delivered on Friday, August 23.

In a unanimous judgement, the three-member panel, led by Justice A. O. Chijioke, ordered for a fresh election to be conducted in the senatorial district.

However, Melaye has now filed a motion, dated September 5, 2019, before the Appeal Court to overturn the ruling and affirm him as the winner of the election.

Adeyemi and his All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are all listed as respondents in the application.

Melaye had referred to the judgement last month as a travesty and miscarriage of justice.

“I have confidence in the appeal court to right the wrongs as contained in the pronouncements of the judgement,” he said.