Senator Dino Melaye, who contested under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the recently concluded Kogi governorship election, has vehemently denied claims that he is demanding a refund for funds allegedly disbursed for vote buying.
In an official statement personally endorsed by Melaye on behalf of his campaign organization’s Media Directorate, and subsequently shared on his official Facebook page, he dismissed the report as baseless and without merit.
An online publication (not Media Talk Africa) had circulated a report alleging that Senator Melaye was demanding a reimbursement following the purported distribution of N250,000 per polling unit for the purpose of influencing voters.
Senator Melaye pointed an accusing finger at the All Progressives Congress (APC), attributing the origin of the report to the political party.
Discrediting the article, Senator Melaye retorted, “The SDM Media Directorate categorically affirms that such misleading headlines and narratives are utterly groundless and constitute an effort to divert public attention from the electoral malpractice that marred the Kogi November 11 polls.”
He continued, “Let it be unequivocally clear that Senator Dino Melaye, a proponent of democracy, an advocate for the fight against corruption in Nigeria, and a man guided by religious principles, would never descend to the unlawful and ruinous level of the APC by engaging in vote-buying.”
“The Nigerian populace is well informed about the events during the Kogi state November 11 election, where rigging reached unprecedented and sophisticated levels,” he added.
