BREAKING: Melaye Leaves APC, Hints On His Return To PDP

Dino Melaye, the embattled senator representing Kogi West at the National Assembly, on Wednesday, May 30, gave a hint of a defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Melaye, who is currently having a running battle with the police, gave the hint of his defection on the floor of the Senate.

The hint came after the senator raised a point of order (14) at the sitting where he thanked his colleagues, members of the House of Representatives, his constituents and Nigerians for standing by him during his travails.

Premium Times reports that Melaye then commended the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for their support as he asked Bukola Saraki to mandate the sergeant-at-arms to create a seat for him at the opposition wing of the chamber.

He also announced he would now sit beside former Senate president, David Mark, pending the time a seat would be allocated to him. With this, he was aided by some of his colleagues to his preferred seat.

Saraki, however, ruled that there was no need for Melaye to relocate to another seat.

The Majority Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, also raised a point of order saying that Melaye remains a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress and could only change seats on the side dedicated to the majority party.

Lawan then asked the Chief Whip, Senator Sola Adeyeye, to take Melaye back to the APC section.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, saw the issue differently, however.

Quoting relevant sections of the Constitution, Ekweremadu argued that it was part of ensuring Melaye’s welfare, which is part of the duties of government to its citizens, that ‎the lawmaker should be allowed to sit anywhere he chooses. ‎

Also, the Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said the PDP caucus would welcome Melaye to sit with them as part of being their “brother’s keeper.”

He also noted that any member of the Senate is free to sit in any part of the chamber.
Melaye eventually settled for a seat in the PDP section.

Vanguard reports that Senator Melaye was dressed in white, wore collar on his neck, an indication that he was still in pains.

Senator Dino Melaye in neck cast at the Senate on Wednesday. Photo: Leke Baiyewu

ORIENTAL TIMES recalls that Senate president Bukola Saraki led other Nigerian senators to visit Senator Dino Melaye at the National Hospital, Abuja.

Melaye was injured after he attempted to escape from a police van after he was arrested from his home on Tuesday, April 24.

The leadership of the National Assembly on Monday, May 7, reported Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris to President Muhammadu Buhari for his alleged failure to appear before the Senate for the second time over the issue of Senator Dino Melaye.

Senate president Bukola Saraki and the speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, confirmed this development to State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with the president in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Saraki said they raised the issue of Senator Melaye to the president because of the refusal of the IGP to honour Senate’s invitations.