Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye has denied claims that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, is influencing his governorship aspiration.
OsunDaily News recalls that some members of the Kogi State chapter of the PDP had raised an alarm over an alleged plot by Atiku to impose Melaye as the party’s governorship candidate in the state.
In a statement signed by their leader, Ibrahim Dansofo, the party said it would be in the best interest of all if Atiku stop the alleged move on the imposition of Melaye and allow the original delegates list from the 21 local government areas to scale through.
Dansofo submitted that it is rather unfortunate that the only way Atiku has decided to pay the chapter back for supporting him at the presidential election was to impose Melaye on the party as its governorship candidate.
He also accused the former Vice President of plotting to deprive the other nine aspirants of the opportunity for a fair, primary election as the authentic list of delegates was being altered to allow Melaye to have his way.
Reacting in an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, Melaye stated that Atiku is not influencing his governorship aspiration as claimed by some party members in Kogi and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
The PDP governorship aspirant denied insinuations that Atiku is trying to impose him on the party in the state, adding that it will be undermining his political sagacity and maturity.
Melaye claimed that the PDP members who accused Atiku of planning to impose him were paid by Wike, adding that they only did that for their pay.
He said: “Anyway, I want to start by saying for me it is politically undermining my person and personality to begin to say that Atiku Abubakar is trying to force me on Kogi people. That is completely undermining my political sagacity and maturity because we have to keep Atiku completely out of this.
“I became a member of the House of Representatives, Atiku didn’t influence that. I became a two-term member of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Atiku didn’t influence that too. But those who want to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it will bring a lot of insinuation and all that.
“Atiku Abubakar is not interfering at all in the preparations for the primaries of the PDP in Kogi state. Those hired guns paid by Wike to address press conferences are only doing that for their pay.”
