Nigeria’s 2019 election: Senate won’t reconsider decision on sequence—Melaye

Senate President, Bukola Saraki (pictured) is an ally of Dino Melaye

Nigeria’s 2019 election: Senate won’t reconsider decision on sequence—Melaye

Senator Dino Melaye has said the Nigerian Senate will not back down on their decision on the sequence for the 2019 general election.

The outspoken senator, yesterday in Abuja said if President Muhammadu Buhari and his supporters were confident of themselves, they should not be bothered about the sequence of the election.

“There is a difference between the date of election and the sequence of the election. What we (Senate) have done is to change the sequence of the election, not the date of the election. We have not tampered with the date of the election as presented by the INEC”, said Melaye.

Following intrigues ahead of next year’s general election, the senate altered the schedule of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the election. The schedule released by the INEC had fixed presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, February 16, 2019, while governorship and state Assembly elections come up Saturday, March 2, 2019.

The Senate, however, reversed the order, demanding the National Assembly election come first while the presidential hold last.

The Senate decision has caused a split between supporters of President Buhari and his opponents.

 Melaye, who is currently a member of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) also carpeted the Muhammadu Buhari led government, calling it sick and corrupt and incapable of delivering the promises of democracy.

He said the only way out of the current challenges facing the country is when Nigerians vote out Muhammadu Buhari in the next general election in 2019.

“There is failure of the leadership to check the leadership, including myself. Today, Nigerians have become more indolent…Today, we don’t have democracy, what is have it greedocracy, that is government of the greedy by the greedy and for the greedy”, he said.

Melaye said President Buhari is asking for peace in the country but he (Buhari) has not paved the way for peace to reign in Nigeria.

He said President Buhari recently called for peace without knowing that “there can be no peace without justice”. Melaye said there will be no peace when people wallow in abject poverty and lack access to basic social amenities including health facilities while their leaders live in stupendous wealth.

The outspoken senator urged Nigerians to ensure that they get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) to enable them vote out Buhari in 2019.

Melaye said the ruling class (which he is a part of) is playing ethnic cards and dividing the people along ethnic sentiments.