Former lawmaker and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi state, Dino Melaye has called on the Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde to support the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal to challenge the win of President Bola Tinubu in the Feb 25th polls.
Melaye’s comments come after Makinde said on Saturday June 2, that ‘The healing process will have to start’
Aggrieved by Atiku’s emergence as presidential flagbearer opposed to a southerner, Makinde joined a group of five PDP governors known as the G5 ahead of the February 25 presidential election, to pull out their support.
With the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaring Tinubu as the winner, Atiku filed a petition at the tribunal to challenge the victory but Makinde as well as other G5 governors like Nyesom Wike and Benue’s Ortom have not attended the hearings despite being Party members.
Speaking on Saturday, June 3 at a retreat for PDP elected officials held in Bauchi State, the Oyo governor said, “We were through a gruelling election, and whether we want to admit it or not, we had issues amongst ourselves during the election, but you know what?
“The healing process will have to start, and the healing process will start now. We must focus on things that will unite us. We must, as a matter of urgency, be forward-looking.”
Melaye then redirected the governor’s words to him, asking him to show that healing has occured by attending the tribunal hearing.
Melaye argued that the gesture “will show that the healing has truly started.”
“I just want to start by appreciating the comment of Governor Seyi Makinde this morning, particularly where he said, ‘Healing starts now,’” he said.
“And the way to start that healing is, I would be glad if between now, next week, and two weeks that we’ll be at the tribunal, to see Governor Seyi Makinde walk into the tribunal venue and sit down, to support the party, our candidate.”
According to the Kogi PDP candidate, it would show to the world the PDP is united.