I won the election based on the conviction of my senatorial district, people of the state -Adeyemi
Sen. Dino Melaye and Smart Adeyemi
Senator Smart Adeyemi has taken a swipe at Senator Dino Melaye, his closest rival in the just concluded Kogi West district senatorial election.
Reacting to his victory in the poll, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate berated his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) opponent for his kind of person.
“Dino is not a good representation of the people of Kogi West,” said Adeyemi during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
He added, “I am sure that no Nigerian would want to have somebody like Dino as a Senator. May Nigeria never have the kind of Dino as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Senator Adeyemi was returned elected by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the Kogi West senatorial district election after polling the highest number of votes.
Announced the results on Saturday last week in Kogi, the Returning Officer for the election Professor Olajide Lawal said Senator Adeyemi scored of 88,373 votes to beat Senator Melaye got 62,133 votes.
Ambassador Rufus Aiyenigba of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) came third in the poll with 659 votes and was trailed by John Olabode and Adeyemi Taiwo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Nigeria Elements Progressive Party (NEPP who) garnered 262 and 119 votes respectively.
Senator Melaye has since rejected the outcome of the election, alleging that he was robbed while his life was in danger.
But Senator Adeyemi denied the claims by his PDP rival, stressing that he got the mandate to return to the Senate at the free will of the people.
Rather, he accused Senator Melaye of failing the people of the senatorial district and that he was voted out because the people wanted a change.
“Dino has never worked anywhere before, he was on the street. How can he claim to have been in politics before me,” the APC candidate questioned.
He added, “Dino did nothing since he has been there rather than buying cars and showing to the Nigerian people.
“I won the election based on the conviction of the Nigerian people, people of my senatorial district, and people of my state that the time had come for them to effect a change.”