Dino Melaye loses PDP senatorial ticket

Dino Melaye, former Kogi west senator, has lost the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket to return to the senate.

He lost to Tajudeen Yusuf, lawmaker currently representing Kabba/Bunu Ijumu constituency in the house of representatives.

Yusuf, who secured 163 votes, defeated Dino who polled 99 votes.

Earlier on Monday, Yusuf, a three-term house of representatives member, had levelled with Dino when they both scored 88 votes — leading to a rerun.

But at the rerun on Tuesday, the lawmaker was able to secure a majority of the votes.

In a post on his official Facebook page on Tuesday, Melaye congratulated his rival and commended the delegates who voted in the two elections.

“The Primary has been fought and won. I congratulate Hon. T.J YUSUF and thank all those who voted in the first and second ballot for me. The Gang up is unimaginable but l give God praise. God bless you all,” he wrote.

In another development, Danjuma Laah, senate deputy minority whip, lost the PDP ticket for Kaduna south senatorial seat.

Laah was defeated by Sunday Katung, a former member of the house of representatives. 

Katung, Kaduna state deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in 2019, scored 112 votes to defeat Laah who scored 74 votes; Garba Nicholas, lawmaker representing Jama’a/Sanga federal constituency, who polled 52 votes, as well as Samson Dikko and Adams Jagaba, who got 21 and seven votes, respectively.

In Kaduna central senatorial district, Adamu Lawal was elected as the party’s flag-bearer, scoring 99 votes to defeat Ibrahim Usman, who got 84 votes.

Lawal was the PDP’s candidate for the seat in 2019, but was defeated by Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is now a governorship aspirant in Kaduna.

In Kaduna north senatorial zone, Khalid Mustapha got 257 votes to pick the party’s ticket, being the sole candidate in the zone.