Ahead of November 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi state, the National Association of Okun Students (NAOS) has declared support for the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Dino Melaye.
Addressing Journalists during a press conference held on Tuesday in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital, President of the association , Comrade Ajibade Olamilekan David, stated that the group has narrowed its choice to the PDP candidate after carefully analysing the capacity, experience and competence of the three contestants from the Western Senatorial District of the state.
The students’ body acknowledged that Dino 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 representing Kogi West as the best of the three candidates from the zone based on his antecedents and experience and exposure.
“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. The capacities he demonstrated during his last held positions are second to none in our history. Kogi West benefitted in project development during his term as Senator representing Kogi West,” the group said.
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.
Speaking on the recent endorsement of a consensus candidate by the Kogi West Elders’ Forum, KWEF, the National President of NAOS, 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.
