PDP suspends Dino Melaye for alleged anti-party activities

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended former Senator Dino Melaye, who represented Kogi West, over allegations of anti-party activities.

Melaye, who once chaired the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was suspended by the PDP executive committee in Ayetoro Gbede, Ward 1, after he refused to respond to a summons. The decision to suspend him was made on Thursday and signed by Ward Chairman Abayomi Osamika and Ward Secretary Yodson Dayo.

The party’s Ward executives accused Melaye of misconduct, stating that his actions had brought embarrassment and disrepute to the party, making his continued membership untenable. “The Ward party executive committee hereby suspends Dino Melaye from the Peoples Democratic Party, effective immediately,” the resolution read.

The suspension was enacted under Article 59 (1) of the PDP Constitution, which gives Ward executives the authority to discipline erring members. The Ward Party Executive Committee met on September 12, 2024, to review the findings of a disciplinary committee investigating the allegations against Melaye.

Melaye had been invited to appear before the committee on August 20, 2024, to address accusations of misconduct and anti-party activities, as outlined in Article 57(4) of the PDP Constitution. However, he failed to attend, disregarding both the invitation and the party’s authority.

The Ward executives concluded that Melaye’s failure to appear showed gross disrespect to the party and its leadership and violated the principles of party discipline. Consequently, they resolved that his continued membership was no longer tenable due to the embarrassment and disrepute his actions had caused.