POLITICS WITH @winningman #1: Nigerian Political Theatrics, The Dino Melaye Saga

Hello!

Welcome to this thread of Politics with @winningman. I have decided to make it a point of duty to feed us with recent and most exciting updates in the political arena round the globe.

Hey, don't say you're apolitical. It's impolitic not to know what's happening around you and in the corridors of power in the society. Our life today is shapened to a large extent by the laws governing where we live. Good leadership is a bliss. In a similar vein, bad leadership can be agonising. This underscores why you should try to know about things going on in your country so as to know the role you should play, especially when it comes to electing those who will serve you.

So today we shall take a quick look at The Dino Melaye Saga in Nigeria

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Senator Dino Melaye
Source: daily post.ng

Described as one of the controversial senators, Dino Melaye is a senator representing the good people of Kogi West senatorial district in the upper chambers of our legislation. Lately, he's been a subject of discussion in the political arena of the country. He fell out of favour with most of his party members, the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC. He's been attacking the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari especially on social media. Like it's widely seen and believed here, anyone that's not in the camp of the President or criticising him should get ready to dance to the tune of the music that will be played for him/her. And Dino has not been without dancing to his own 'deserved' tune.

So, how did the whole Melaye Saga begin?

Supporting Saraki For Senate President:
This was what lawyers would call, 'first count charge' . There was a tough battle for the leadership of the senate between two senators Ahmed Lawan and Bukola Saraki. Both are from the APC. The party endorsed Lawan but Saraki wouldn't back down. This lead to a faction among the APC senators. Two groups - Senate Unity Forum lead by Senator Barnabas Gemade from Benue State and Likeminded senators led by Senator Dino Melaye. The former was supporting Sen. Lawan for the office while the latter was for Sen. Saraki. Dino Melaye's Likeminded Senators' group entered into a secret agreement with the opposition party, PDP to support Saraki for the leadership of the senate and they will join hands and make Sen. Ike Ekweremadu from PDP the deputy senate president. While Sen. Lawan and his group went for a function at the international conference centre, the Saraki supporters surreptitiously held a senate session and Saraki was made the senate president unopposed. So the Dino Melaye-led Likeminded senators triumphed over Senate Unity Forum led by Sen. Barnabas Gemade. The APC stakeholders were bitter. They felt they were betrayed by their own. This was when things began to fall apart for Sen. Melaye.

Attacking Tinubu And His Wife:
Bola Tinubu is one of the greatest politician alive in Nigeria. He is national leader of the ruling APC and he was highly instrumental in the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari as the president. He's a figure that's so much revered especially by those in the party. No one dares or have dared him save for Melaye. Bola Tinubu's wife, Remi Tinubu is also a senator. In a particular plenary session there was a clash between her and Sen. Melaye which engendered Melaye to insult the revered Bola Tinubu. Sen. Remi later wrote to the Inspector General of Police(IGP) requesting for more security personnels. She accused Dino of threatening to beat her up and rape her.

“Look this is not Bourdillon (referring to the famous Lagos residence of Mrs. Tinubu’s politician husband). I will beat you up, ….. impregnate you and nothing will happen.” A source reported that Melaye said this.

However, Dino refuted saying those words.

“For reasons only known to Senator Remi Tinubu, she got up and the first thing she said was that she was being harassed in this chamber by Senator Melaye at this point. She went ahead to say that why would he come here and be threatening senators and there was a large chorus from senators. At that point I was still calm. She got up again and said that this thug must be tamed. At that point, I got up and told her that she was very stupid. The next statement from her was ‘You are a dog’. She called me a dog, and when she called me a dog I stood up and reacted and I told her that this was not bourdillon and she should look at my face, I am not one of those senators who normally come to prostrate to them in bourdillon and I am from Kogi —and not from Lagos.”

People exaggerated Dino's words and actions are gross disrespect to Bola Tinubu. The hatred for Dino especially in the party deepened.

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Sen. Remind Tinubu and Sen. Melaye
Source: thewillnigeria.com

Certificate Saga:
A fellow senator from the same APC party, Mohammed Ndume accused Sen. Dino of not completing his university education and hence certificate forgery. This caused a great uproar in the senate and the country. After careful investigation, Dino was later exonerated of the allegation. Prof Garba, the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria confirmed Dino graduated from the school.

“In my honour, I reaffirm the fact that Dino Melaye graduated as Daniel Jonah Melaye in 2000 with a third-class degree in Geography (Bachelors of Art) of the ABU.”

After his exoneration; Sen. Dino attended the next plenary session of the senate wearing an academic gown. Lol.

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Source: punch.ng

Fall Out with the State Governor and Recall from Senate:
There has been a tough tussle for supremacy between Sen. Melaye and his state governor, Yahaya Bello. Speculations had it that the governor engineered for the calling back of Dino from the senate house through some influential people from Kogi West senatorial district. This is in a bid to emasculate the senator who he(the governor) considered to constitute greatest political threat to him. They've been through many litigation processes. The process was completed recently by INEC and it was in favour of Sen. Melaye. They could not get the required number of signatures to recall him as stipulated in the constitution.

Arms Deal and Hiring of Thugs:
This is the current trending Melaye Saga. It was reported that some hoodlums threatening the peace of the state was arrested and they confessed to be working for Sen. Melaye. The leader of the group admitted to receiving guns and the sum of 430,000 naira from the senator. The police invited Sen. Melaye for interrogation but he refused to appear. He was later declared wanted. While travelling outside the country for an official function, he was arrested at the airport by members of the Nigerian Immigration Services. He was then handed over to the police. On their way to Kogi State, Sen. Dino Jumped out of the running vehicle in an attempt to escape. He feared he might not receive a just treatment in Kogi.

He was taken to National Hospital Abuja where he has been undergoing treatment. The case is still on in the court.

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Source: google

The latest news has it that the police sued Sen. Melaye for attempted murder. They argued he attempted murder by jumping out of a moving vehicle.

Too much drama for one man. Isn't it?

We are watching keenly. May be tomorrow, another drama will unfold. Lol. One can but get tired of the theatrics in the Nigerian political arena.

Ensure you follow @winningman for regular updates on recent and interesting political 'higi-haga' round the world

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