Assassination: Why Dino is after me ―Ijumu LG boss

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi state over the alleged assassination attempt on the senator representing Kogi west senatorial district, Dino Melaye, continued on Sunday as the chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state, Alhaji Taufiq Isa, explained the reasons the senator wanted to rope him for the crime.

Isa said Melaye never wanted him to become the administrator of Ijumu local government area, where they both hail from.

He alleged that the attack from the senator on him started when the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, appointed him the local government boss against Melaye’s wish.

The ALGON boss in a statement by the media consultant to the association, Abubakar Suleiman, said Melaye, tried all his efforts to stop him and install his anointed candidate.

He however said there was no iota of truth in the allegation by Melaye that he (Isa) was behind the alleged assassination attempt him, describing the allegation as “malicious and capable of misleading and cause disaffection among the peace loving people of Ijumu”.

The ALGON boss said the alleged assassination attempt was stage managed by the senator to paint a situation of insecurity in the local government and the entire state.

He said there was no way such attack would have been possible with the number of security operatives that accompanied Melaye to his country home in Ayetoro Gbede during the last Easter celebration.

He said, “How would a man who came into his village at Ayetoro Gbede with hundreds of armed men shooting sporadically to scare people away then swiftly twist the story that he was attacked.”

Isa however said his main preoccupation was the improvement in the standard of living of the people of the local government, asking the senator to allow the people have rest of mind.

But Melaye has denied the allegation over the chairmanship issue, describing Isa as an opportunist and ingrate.

He said he could not have dragged the issue of local government administrator with Isa as he bought his nomination form for him when he wanted to contest councillorship election in 2007.

Melaye, who spoke through his special assistant on media, Gideon Ayodele, said he also supported and made Isa the APC chairman in Ijumu before he abandoned the party and pitched his tent with the candidate of the Accord Party, Bamidele Aro in the Kogi west senatorial district election.

The senator added that Isa is known for betrayal, saying no reasonable person from the area would support his chairmanship ad it would alter the established arrangement in Ijumu.