Kogi guber,Okun students , Dino Melaiye,
Richard Elesho
The National Association of Okun Students (NAOS) has thrown its weight behind the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Dino Melaye ahead of the November 11 Governorship election in Kogi State.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, President of NAOS, Comrade Ajibade Olamilekan David, stated that the group narrowed its choice to the PDP candidate after carefully analysing the capacity and competence of the three gladiators from the Senatorial District.
The group agued that Melaye possesses the requisite capacity, competence and composure the state currently needs to fix the mirage of challenges confronting it.
It described the former senator of Kogi West as the best of the three candidates from the zone based on his antecedents.
The group pointed out that the PDP candidate’s experience, which stands him towering above the rest, was adequate enough to recommend him for a greater responsibility.
On the recent endorsement of a consensus candidate by the Kogi West Elders’ Forum, KWEF, the body said it would be counterproductive and unfortunate for anyone to overlook the structure of the PDP and its candidate for a lesser one.
While describing the endorsement as “cutting the nose to spite the face,” the body said the PDP remains the most viable platform among the three parties that have presented candidates in the district.
NAOS therefore appealed to the electorate, parents and youth alike, to be more circumspective and vote massively for Sen. Dino Melaye as governor in the November 11 election.
“The National Association of Okun Students (NAOS), on behalf of thousands of Okun Students, and by extension, Kogi West Students, hereby assertively and unequivocally express our unalloyed support for the candidacy of the PDP candidate for Kogi State Governorship election, Senator Dino Melaye, come 11th of November 2023.
“It will be recalled that much earlier than now, before any party primary was conducted, this apex students’ body in Kogi West District, expressed the need to produce the next Governor of Kogi State from Kogi West District, as a fair, equitable and just consideration for any political party that upholds the tenets of democracy.
“Consequently, only the PDP conducted a free, fair, and transparent primary where a son of Kogi West, in the person of Senator Dino Melaye, emerged as the governorship candidate.
“We, however, reckon that we have three candidates from our district, Kogi West, all of whom are of Okun extraction. We also have access to the three, but after a careful analysis of the experience, the political network and impact across the district, the viability of their political parties and their capacity to leverage on state and national political structures, the inevitable and logical conclusion is that the PDP candidate, Senator Dino Melaye, is the best among them based on all relevant criteria, which are:
Capacity Acceptability Political Experience Accessibility Intellectual prowess Political structure Capacity
“The PDP candidate has proven beyond reasonable doubts that he has all it takes to make our dear State a prosperous place for all and sundry.”