Dino Melaye, lawmaker representing Kogi West at the Senate has officially declared his intention to vie for the office of governor in the State.
Mr Melaye will be challenging the incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello, who is also in the race for another term of four years. This is despite demands by stakeholders of the governor’s party kicking against his re-election bid.
While Mr Bello is of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Melaye belongs to the o opposing camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The duo are yet to emerge officially as candidates of their party in the November 16 gubernatorial race.
In a video posted in his YouTube channel on Tuesday, the lawmaker said he decided to contest the election to further lessen the burden of the people of the state.
“I stand before you today not to declare my ambition to become the governor of Kogi State but the ambition of the people of Kogi State,” Mr Melaye said.
“If it is for me, I will simply keep calm and look the other way, but if I do so, I will negate everything you have known me for.
“I cannot look away when poverty is ravaging our dear state as if we don’t have the resources to turn the fortune of people around.
“How can I look away when violence, hooliganism and intimidation and is becoming or fast becoming the order of the day?
“I cannot look away when the hope of average person is been destroyed against the wish of the founding and patriotic fathers and mothers of Kogi State. If I look away then I am not the Dino you’ve come to know.
“I have spoken so many times in the face of danger, not for myself but for the man on the street. Some of you know of my persecutions, the constant intimidation and the endless harassments, all of these happened to me because I speak up for the common man.
“The time to speak is over, it is time to act and bring the people of this great state, the progress we are talking about for so long. I may not know much but this is one thing I know, that Kogi people deserves something better than what they have right now.
“If you feel the same then this is your ambition. Let us rally round to change the sorry state we have become. This is the people’s agenda. Kogi State will be better with Dino Melaye,” the lawmaker added.
