Dino Melaye says he will not challenge result of Kogi gubernatorial elections in court

PEOPLE'S Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the recent Kogi State gubernatorial election Senator Dino Melaye gas revealed that he will not challenge his loss on the polls because he does not have faith in the Nigerian judiciary.

On Saturday November 11, Kogians went to the polls to elect a new governor, with Senator Melaye standing as a candidate. A day after voting, the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) declared Ahmed Usman-Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner with 446,237 votes, beating Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party with 259,052 votes and Senator Melaye with 46,362 votes.

In Nigerian governorship elections, it is taken for granted that the loser will challenge the verdict in court and Senator Melaye had been expected to do so. However, the controversial Senator Melaye has said that he will not contest the result because he has lost confidence in the Nigerian judiciary.

Senator Melaye said: "Out judiciary is no longer the last hope of the ordinary people, it’s now a department under the All Progressives Congress. Why should any responsible person go to the tribunal when the APC has captured the judiciary? I’ve lost complete confidence in the judiciary.”

It is not yet clear of Muri Ajaka of the SDP who came second in the contest intends to challenge the results in court. It is very rare for losers in Nigerian elections to concede defeat and congratulate the winners.