The Senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Senator Daniel Dino Melaye is not new to controversy. On the last day of 2016, he declared himself the leader of APC in Kogi State.

However, Governor, Yahaya Bello who described his claim as bogus alleged that the Senator is a
troublemaker.

Melaye, who declared himself leader during a constituency programme in Aiyetoto Gbede last year, referred to some persons that newly decamped to the party as tenants. Apparently referring to Senator Smart Adeyemi and others who recently crossed over to APC, he asserted that the new entrants were teaming up with
Governor Yahaya Bello in the hope that with the influence of the Governor he (Melaye) would be
undermined.

He said unknown persons who just dumped their parties to become lodgers in APC after eight years came in with the believe that they could undermine his integrity.
“The Governor of Kogi State cannot undermine me in Kogi State neither can anybody undermine me in APC in Kogi State. I say this with every sense of responsibility and humility. I am the only member of the Board of Trustees of APC in Kogi State, even the Governor of Kogi State is not a member and I am also a member of the
executive council of APC”, he stated.

According to him, there are two highest decision-
making organ in APC and that he belongs to the two bodies stressing that people were merely wasting their time talking about factions, support or no support as it was not yet time to dissipate energy on who is where.

However, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Petra Onyegbule Akinti said Melaye was just laying spurious claims and dressing himself in borrowed robes stressing that it is only the Governor and Buba Jibril that are members of APC’s NEC.

She described him as a rabble-rouser who allegedly does not command the respect of his own constituents due to his infantile disposition.

“He is a rabble-rouser, we don’t have time for all of that, and we are busy with issues of Governance. The Governor is busy with the issues of governance; we are also busy doing our job of showcasing government’s achievements and getting appropriate feedback from the people that he governs.
We are not in any supremacy contest with anybody claiming to be leader of the party
in Kogi State.
“The people know who their leader is so there is
absolutely no reason for us to chase after
shadows.”

According to her, the structure of the APC is such that whoever is the governor is the leader of the
party in that State, saying that its akin to someone claim President Muhammadu Buhari is not currently the leader of APC in Nigeria.

“Being a BOT member does not make any person leader of the party in the State, if not the former acting Governor of Kogi State, Clarence Olafemi should have been declared leader of the party first, as a member of BOT of APC.
Yes there are leaders of the party but there is
only one head in the State and that is Governor Yahaya Bello.”

She maintained that even the APC constitution affirms that the Governor is the leader of the party adding that in States where the APC is not ruling, any former Governor who is a member of the party becomes the leader of the party.

Similarly, Mr. Samuel Aro Bamidele, a senatorial
candidate of the Accord party in the 2015 general elections, who crossed over to the APC, contended that the Governor of the State remains the leader of the party.
He said Melaye is just a Senator representing seven Local government areas, adding that there are two other Senators saying he can not claim to be leader in a State when the APC constitution clearly states that the sitting Governor or a former Governor in States under the control of the opposition remains the leader of the party.

I recall vividly when the vociferous senator, Dino Melaye mounted the podium on Jan 27th 2016 and chanted
"Sai Bello, Kogites voted for Audu but God chose Bello" also said "anyone that is against Bello, Holy Ghost will fire such person."
The same senator Dino that newspapers referred to as Bello's godfather. Anyways, all I know is Hon. Faleke remains the only authentic, germane APC leader reverred and respected by all and sundry across the state.
Let Dino and Bello continue to fight for leadership and forget governance...bunch of empty headed "youths".
Who party leader epp

When will Dino get sense