Yomi Awoniyi, a former deputy governor of Kogi State, claims that Kogi State's Peoples Democratic Party governorship primary on Sunday lacks credibility.
Dino Melaye, a former senator for Kogi West, received 313 votes to win the primary. With 77 votes, Awoniyi placed second.
Awoniyi, however, characterized Melaye's votes as the result of a "tainted delegates list" in a statement made on Monday in Lokoja.
"I boldly declare that Senator Melaye's triumph was a pyrrhic one without the slightest doubt. With this triumph, our party's cohesion and chances of winning the November 11 governorship election are in grave jeopardy.
“The primary that threw up Senator Melaye was flawed; 158 delegates, who emerged from the state ad hoc congress of March 29, 2023, were replaced by the woeful Senator Abdul Ningi Congress Committee, working in concert with Senator Dino Melaye’s enablers within the party hierarchy at the highest level. It is fraudulent, duplicitous, sinful, and unwholesome because it confers an undue advantage on the favoured aspirant. Senator Dino Melaye won a fraudulent primary.
“This pyrrhic victory may look like a fait accompli, but the dust is unlikely to settle even beyond the November 11, 2023 governorship election. From the foregoing, it may surprise many that I do not necessarily blame Senator Dino Melaye for where we find ourselves today. He needs to search his heart to see if he has behaved well, as a counsellor of the celestial, which he claims to be. But I blame his enablers".
In a statement released on Monday, Melaye, In the meantime, gave God the glory for making him the PDP's choice for governor of Kogi State.
He said, “Today (Sunday), April 16, 2023, the Almighty God proved himself in my life, by responding to my Biblical name, Daniel. He fought on my behalf, and delivered victory to me, which I received on behalf of all other aspirants, the great members of the Peoples Democratic Party in and outside Kogi State, and the good people of our dear Kogi State.
