Famous handshake: the hunter and the hunted; Dino Melaye and Kogi CP


The politics of Dino Malaye and Gov Yahaya Bello of Kogi State will not kill us. The twists and turns are endless. The latest news is that the senator who has been hunted by the police was seen having a handshake with the boss of the same Kogi police command that hunted for him.

Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West, again stole the show at the eight day prayer for the late deputy majority leader of the House of Representatives, Buba Jibril, as his entry in to the venue was greeted with a very laud ovation. It could be recalled that the senator was declared wanted by the Nigerian police but he was driven in to the venue, Kabawa Primary School, in the convoy of the senate president.

For some time now, Melaye has had a running battle Yahaya Bello the governor of the Confluence state which has snowballed into name calling threatening to tear the ruling APC party apart in the State.

Many persons thought Melaye would shy away from attending the 8th day prayer but low and behold he was at the occasion live and he left without being arrested as speculated.

Melaye alighted from the jeep of the senate president, raised his two fingers to acknowledge cheers from the crowd as ‘Sai Dino’ rent the air.

It was gathered that some members of the Kabawa community also provided their own local security for the senator apart from that of the senate president.

The senator also shook hands with the representative of the commissioner of police at the airstrip in Obajana where the private jet of the senate president landed as they alighted.

There were rumours that some Federal Special Anti Robbery Squads (SARS) operatives were even deployed to the state to effect the arrest of Melaye.

Before the prayer session there was also a mild drama as loyalists of Governor Yahaya Bello were hanging their banner before long supporters of the senator also hung Melaye’s banner very close to that of GYB group’s own which made the master of ceremony to quickly interject, warning that it was an eight day prayer for the late Buba and not a ground for politicking.

Before the matter could degenerate in to another political face -off between the two groups this led to the removal of the banners.

The crowd at the event was unprecedented as the Sraki, the immediate past Governor of the State, Idris Wada, and his former deputy, Yomi Awoniyi, the majority leader of the House Femi Gbajabiamila, Emmanuel Egwu representing Idah federal constituency, James Faleke representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, Kabiru Ajana representing Okehi/Adavi federal contituency, Hassan Omale representing Ankpa/Omala/Olamaboro federal constituency, all glowed in radiance.

Others were Senator Tunde Ogbeha, Isah Kutepa, Chief Judge of Kogi State Justice Nasiru Ajana, Sunday KarimI representing Yagbagi Federal constituency. But Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State was represented by his deputy, Simon Achuba.

Speaking shortly, Wada said Buba’s deathwas a major loss to Kogi politics as the people of Kogi State would miss him, adding that he had the interest of his people at heart. He also emphasized that the death should teach politicians that there was an end to everything in life that is why human beings should not push things beyond limit.

He equally warned politicians to avoid the idea of do or die affairs in politics.