Elders of the Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have expressed concerns about the viability of Senator Dino Melaye’s gubernatorial candidacy, citing a worrisome approach to the upcoming November election.
Kogi PDP Elders Forum, representing nine local government areas in Kogi East and parts of Kogi West, made this known in a statement signed by Alhaji Ibrahim Dansofo on Tuesday
Dansofo urged the national leadership of PDP to intervene promptly, fearing that Senator Dino Melaye’s actions might harm the party’s standing in the state.
According to the Elders Forum, “Senator Melaye’s campaign tactics, characterized by ignoring key party figures, frequent church-hopping, and reliance on prayer groups, are insufficient to secure electoral success.”
The Elders stressed the importance of engaging deeply with the party’s core organs and voters.
They also expressed dismay at the growing exodus of influential party members to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other parties in Kogi State, despite their criticism of Governor Bello’s performance.
They attributed this trend to Senator Melaye’s political approach, emphasizing that many party candidates from previous elections had already switched allegiances, posing a significant threat to the party’s stability.
They raised concerns about Senator Melaye’s alleged practice of importing campaign personnel from America.
“Notably, Senator Melaye has aligned himself with Noah Iyodo and Gideon Ojatta, with Gideon claiming residence in America while Noah Iyodo left the country for the United States, opting out of the last election,” they said.
The Elders expressed suspicion about Senator Melaye’s true intentions and his commitment to the party’s objectives.
They accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who insisted on supporting Senator Melaye, holding him partly responsible for the party’s struggles in Kogi.
They called on Atiku to intervene and encourage Senator Melaye to be more transparent about his intentions since winning the primary election, stressing that governorship campaigns requires more than just public appearances and social media posts.
