Dino Melaye, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kogi State, won his polling unit in the November 11 governorship election held in the state.
The PDP governorship candidate’s polling unit is Open Space, Iluafon quarters, RA: Aiyetoro 1, Ijumu LGA, Kogi.
Despite the report of Dino Melaye not participating (voting) in the election, Melaye beat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Usman Ododo, who had the backing of the incumbent Governor, Yahaya Bello.
Melaye did not turn up to vote at his voting place, claiming that the election was rigged and marred with several voting irregularities.
On Saturday, the PDP candidate received 210 votes, while the APC received 22, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) received 1.
Dino Melaye also rejected the conduct of the ongoing election in the state.
Melaye, who also doubles as a former senator, did not vote in his polling unit in Kogi West.
News About Nigeria affirmed that while engaging with journalists who had visited him at his home, Melaye said that he voted but declined to name the polling unit where he voted.
He also pointed out severe electoral malpractices by the state’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Despite several reports of significant violence during Kogi’s elections, Governor Yahaya Bello claims that the state’s troubled history of electoral violence is a media fabrication.
After voting at his polling unit (PU) 011, Agassa, Okene LGA on Saturday, Bello informed journalists that “the issue of electoral violence in Kogi state is a media creation of those who are not on the ground in Kogi state.”
There have also been reports and claims of electoral irregularities in different polling units in Kogi state.
Earlier, as voting ensues, an army unit apprehended a local council chairman and political thugs with ammunition and millions of naira, it was reported that the cash was meant for vote-buying.
