Dino Melaye, a former Senator and PDP operative, is struggling to keep the light of his governorship campaign on in Kogi State. Since he muscled his way to the ticket of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he has failed to generate the level of interest and support his aspiration needs to succeed. This puts him firmly behind the incumbent party whose candidate, Usmam Ododo, continues to pile key endorsements and alliances, even though he battles a number of internal dissensions.
Melaye’s problems are said to be tied to one critical factor: Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the party in the last general elections, is not answering his calls and request for financial support.
Multiple sources within the party have confirmed to this publication that Melaye’s bid was launched in the hopes that Atiku, long known as the ‘money bag’ of the PDP, would invest in the project and help power his rise to Lord Luggard House. In fact, the goal was said to be the motivation for his overzealous support of the former Vice President, particularly in the internecine battle with the ex-Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
“You will notice that Dino Melaye did more than most in the last election to show that he is for Atiku a hundred percent. He was all over the media defending Atiku and attacking PDP leaders such as Wike who viewed Atiku’s run as a violation of the party’s power-sharing formula. His calculation was that Atiku would win the contest and then in turn help him win Kogi State as governor,” one source said.
Another source said, “Melaye’s strategy was the usual I-rub-your-back and you-rub-mine that dictates political moves in this clime. His support for Atiku was not for nothing. He was merely wetting the ground for his own bid in Kogi State. It was for the same reason that he followed Bukola Saraki by the tail throughout his Senate Presidency before he fell from grace. Predictably, Melaye deserted him and pitched his tent in Atiku’s camp.”
Melaye’s impassioned support nevertheless, Atiku remains unconvinced about his chances of victory and has refused to part with funds, despite several requests made by the former Senator. As a result, he has been forced to scale back campaign efforts and activities, limiting himself only to opportunistic visits and personal encounters with photo opportunities.
“We have been struggling to keep the team together. Oga Melaye is barely dropping funds because Atiku has not answered him. Most of the boys following us around are complaining and are very dissatisfied. If nothing changes soon, they may all go elsewhere. This is also why many stakeholders in the state are not taking the PDP as a serious contender,” a member of the campaign team, who requested anonymity to avoid backlash, told us.
Attempts to understand Atiku’s decision to stonewall his passionate disciple produced different answers. Some said the former Vice President remains cross about his loss in the last election and is no longer interested in funding the party, especially after Wike’s rebellion severely weakened his hands and control of the party. Others claim that he is experiencing financial difficulty and has decided to cut down expenses, including large financial outlay to political influence buying.
“Atiku is broke. No money to throw around again like before. Whatever he has now, he wants to keep it for himself and enjoy his private life. He is slowly giving up on politics because he knows that 2023 was the last chance to achieve his ambition to be president, and he failed,” a source told us.
“He is not convinced that his investment in the PDP has yielded profits. The likes of Melaye couldn’t really do battle with Wike, although they tried. Atiku doesn’t see the value in spending so much money on politicians who though make a lot of noise but cannot deliver results when push comes to shove,” another source said.
With the Kogi governorship election slated for the 11th of November, Melaye is fast running out of time to put his house in order and mount a respectable challenge, even if ends in a defeat.