The chairman, Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Otunba Dino Melaye, on Sunday, May 23, 2016 stunned the congregation at the Apostolic Church Nigeria, Oke-Ayo (Iluafon) Assembly in his hometown, Ayetero-Gbede, Kogi State, when he narrated how was tempted to seek diabolical means during preparations for the 2015 general election.
According to him, the several temptations were to ascertain his fate at the election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in which he defeated rival, Senator Smart Adeyemi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Melaye who is representing Kogi West, made the revelations during a special thanksgiving service and empowerment programme for youths in the area, attended by 26 senators and traditional rulers in the area.
During the empowerment programme, 18 seater Toyota Hiace Bus valued at N9 million each was donated by him to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kogi West, Council of Ulamas, Kogi West and the National Automotive Technicians and Artisans Association (NATA) and Ijumu Development Union (IDU).
Other items donated include a 32 seater coaster Bus to a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) within Kogi West valued at N32 million; electric grinding machines to widows in all the 85 wards of Kogi West; sewing machines to indigent apprentice who have completed their trainings and driers and salon kits.
Melaye also doled out computers to secondary schools within the senatorial district; 250 telephones to dedicated his loyalists valued at N100,000 each.
The senator who had earlier done 100 boreholes in Kogi West Senatorial District, gave out scholarship to indigent persons in all the wards.
He however added a new dimension to the purity and supplication when he rolled on the floor of the church, wept before God and thanking God for His mercies to the admiration of the congregation.
According to him, some of his core loyalists who were so deeply concerned about his fate ahead of the election, tempted him to seek victory prediction through different diabolical means, including soothsayers, for which he flatly rejected.
Melaye said, “When I was contesting election, even from among my supporters, some people came with various advice. In fact, somebody came that I should go to the seven Local Government Areas and fetch the soil of the seven LGs. He said that was the way to my victory and I laughed at his ignorance. But I rejected because I’ve vowed that I will never be diabolical in my life. It pays to serve God.”
Speaking about his election court cases in the Election Petition Tribunal, the senator, regretted what he called “unnecessary court cases”, he went through from his political rival, but thanked God for granting him victory in all.
He said, “After the victory, I was taken to the tribunal. I’m one of the few persons in this country who was taken to different courts for four times. I went to four different courts. It all started from the tribunal to Appeal Court. The Court of Appeal ordered retrial of the case at the tribunal and we started again.
“When again we finished from the tribunal and went back to the Court of Appeal, external forces came in. But in all these, God saw me through. External forces came in during the second time I appeared at the Court of Appeal. But God, in His mercy, gave me victory for the second time.”
