Crisis hits Kogi PDP as aspirant heads to court over primary election

THE crisis over the senatorial primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Kogi State continued on Friday as the member representing Yagba Federal Constituency, Sunday Karimi, said he had approached the court to seek redress over the Kogi west senatorial district seat.

The lawmaker also asked the Senate president, Senator Bukola Saraki, to stop dabbling into issues that affect the politics of Kogi State.

He said his quest to represent the senatorial district was not for personal enrichment but to give qualitative representation to the people.

The lawmaker, who is an aspirant to the Kogi west senatorial district seat lamented the alleged non-conduct of the primaries, saying his quest and seeking that the right thing be done is not because he wants to be settled as it is been planned for him in certain quarters.

He, however, said he had approached the court seeking to intervene on the botched primaries, describing the claimed mandate by Senator Dino Melaye as illegitimate, want due process to be followed in winning the election.

According to him, the primaries said to have taken place that produced Melaye as the candidate for Kogi West is a charade, adding that he asked the Court to stop the party and the Senate President from foisting a candidate on Kogi West Senatorial District.

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Karimi said: “No amount of kneeling down and begging by Dino Melaye will appease the people. The mandate was stolen from Yagba Federal Constituency. When you cheat and corrupt the system to pick something crudely you must be ready to face the consequences.

“My disqualification along with others was crude, uncivilised, tyrannical and a political coup that cannot be imagined in this century, not with all that I did in plenary session as well as to attracting projects to my constituency and in defending PDP, only to be rewarded with this kind of shabby treatment. It is a shame.”

Karimi urged Melaye to drop the “stolen” PDP ticket or face the electoral consequences, adding that he (Karimi) has been invited to a meeting along with other aspirants to see the Senate President for discussion and settlement he refused to attend.

“I turned down the offer, I don’t need his settlement, let he the Senate President leave us alone in Kogi and limit his overbearing activities to Kwara State,” he added.