Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, on Sunday accused National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, of plotting to make him lose his case at the election tribunal.
Tinubu, Melaye alleged, is working with former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN).
He told newsmen that a senior editor in Abuja close to Tinubu has allegedly forwarded the legal brief filed by his challenger, Senator Smart Adeyemi, to Adoke asking the ex-AGF to look for a judge in the Court of Appeal that would offer assistance.
Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, in a swift reaction through his media aide, said Melaye’s allegation was another lie from his kitchen of malicious lies.
Melaye was said to have incurred the wrath of Tinubu after refusing to back down from supporting the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, during the just concluded election of leaders in the 8th National Assembly.
Melaye however said he has no regret over his role in the emergence of Saraki as Senate president.
In his words: “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.
“In God I trust, no matter how desperate they might be.
“I am privy to an electronic mail sent to Adoke by an Abuja-based senior editor who is close to Tinubu, in which he forwarded the court papers filed by Smart Adeyemi at the tribunal to Adoke.
“In the said e-mail, Adoke was told to look for a trusted justice in the Court of Appeal who would be useful for Smart Adeyemi.”
The Elections Petitions Tribunal in Kogi State had upheld the election of Melaye who was elected on the APC platform.
Melaye defeated Adeyemi in the March 28, 2015 National Assembly election with a slim margin and was subsequently given the Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Tinubu, in his reaction, through a statement by his media aide, Sunday Dare, told Melaye to look elsewhere for people to blackmail.
The statement titled “Look elsewhere for people to blackmail” reads: “This is another lie from their kitchen of 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 is aligned with people who want to kill the party, APC, and we wish him luck, but they will not succeed because the party belongs to the Nigerian people. This blackmail like other ones will not work. It cannot stick. Adokie? Who is he? Tinubu cannot recall when last he saw him or even spoke with him. Dino should look elsewhere for people to blackmail.”
