BREAKING: Why I won’t challenge election result at tribunal — Dino Melaye

• The Independent National Electoral Commission declared the APC candidate, Usman Ododo, winner of the November 11 governorship election in the state
• Dino alleged irregularities in election process

The Kogi State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Dino Melaye, said he will not challenge the electoral victory of the All Progressives Congress before the state election petition tribunal.

WITHIN NIGERIA recalls that the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the APC candidate, Usman Ododo, winner of the November 11 governorship election in the state.

The PDP governorship candidate who came third in the election, on Wednesday, alleged that the judiciary is no longer independent, but a department in the APC.

Dino stated, “Judiciary is no longer the last hope of the ordinary people, it is now a department under the All Progressives Congress. Why should any responsible person go to the tribunal when the APC have captured the judiciary?

“I have lost complete confidence in the judiciary.”

Melaye noted that it was a shame that the judiciary watched helplessly as members of the ruling party boasted of their control over the judiciary during campaigns.

Meanwhile, The Kogi state commissioner of Police, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, on Wednesday, warned troublemakers not to create problems for Kogi since the election had come and gone peacefully.

The commissioner made the plea after some suspected party supporters staged a protest at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday.

“We thank God that the off-cycle governorship election in Kogi has come and gone peacefully, and we don’t expect anyone to cause any problems for us.

“As a security agency, we are imploring the politicians and INEC to follow the legal constitutional process since the issues are being handled by the Election Petition Tribunal.

“I was taken aback when some SDP protesters filed out with various placards, trying to barricade the INEC.

“I had to address them against that and urge them to go away and use the tribunal to address whatever grievances they had so as not to create problems for our peaceful state,” he said.