The Ijumu Local Government Area chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State, has dismissed reports that the 2024 gubernatorial candidate of the party, Sen Dino Melaye was suspended over alleged anti-party activities.
The chapter, in a statement released on Friday and signed by the PDP Chairman in Ijumu Local Government Council, Olorunmaiye Olabode, said the earlier-announced suspension of Melaye was done by external enemies of the party.
He added that the letter of suspension was forged and that those behind the purported suspension do not have the powers to suspend such an important member of the party as Melaye.
According to the statement, the move to suspend Melaye was hastily made in order to execute the malicious and mischievous plan of those behind the suspension.
The statement read as follows: “We stand firmly with the party, the Constitution thereof, and the Guidelines & Regulations that are issued from time to time. We stand by the fact that no materials were brought to Ijumu LGA to carry out the Ward Ad hoc Congress on the 27th of July, 2024.
“We stand by the truth that no LGA Congress was held in Ijumu LGA at any time to elect a National Delegate. We did not participate in the purported State Congress, which was illegally held in Lokoja on the 31st of August, 2024, knowing that it was a failed kangaroo arrangement.
“We are aware of a communiqué in circulation which was concocted by external enemies of the party from outside Ijumu, who are forces of destabilization and who want to remove our leader, the leader of the party in the state, His Excellency, Senator Dino Melaye, who is the voice of the voiceless, so they can ride roughshod over loyal party members in Kogi State.
“We categorically and unequivocally state that the said purported letter of expulsion is a forgery and cannot stand. It is so ridiculously and hurriedly written that the day and date do not tally.
“We also state that such a correspondence, which is meant to expel an important member of the Party like Senator Dino Melaye, cannot be handled in this criminal manner. No PDP member in Kogi has done what our leader has done nationally for the PDP.
“We challenge these traducers to mention any anti-party activities of Senator Dino Melaye. The man who still pays for the accommodation of the Party at the state headquarters, paid salaries of staff, bought 10,000 copies of membership cards just last month and distributed them among party members and new joiners, and gave 2 million naira to the party just last month as running costs.
“We, therefore, state for the record that it is a breach of the Party’s Constitution not to follow due process in the haste to execute this malicious and mischievous plan. We urge all members of the party in Ijumu and the state as a whole to disregard the purported dismissal or expulsion of our staunch, loyal, committed, and unflinching state leader, who abhors anti-party activities in all ramifications and for which reason he is being vilified by agents of destruction.”
Recall that ward executives in the Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) suspended former Senator, Dino Melaye.
Melaye was suspended by the PDP exco in Ayetoro Gbede, Ward 1 for failing to honour an invitation by the party for alleged anti-party activities.
Melaye’s suspension was contained in a statement jointly signed by the PDP Ward Chairman, Abayomi Osamika, and the Secretary, Yodson Dayo.