This post has already been read at least 1140 times!

A grassroots forum of voters in Kogi State, under the aegis of the Ijumu Voters Forum (IYF), has slammed former Senator Dino Melaye over his recent comments about the Chairman of the House Committee on Customs, Hon. Elder Leke Abejide, describing Melaye as a content creator whose utterances should be ignored by the general public.

The forum questioned Melaye’s pedigree, academic qualifications, service delivery, and quality of representation while in the National Assembly, in comparison to that of Hon. Abejide.

Melaye had recently criticised Hon. Abejide over the crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Reacting to Melaye’s attack on the federal lawmaker, the grassroots voters’ forum in Kogi West, in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Hon. Eleta Kelvin Oluseyi, on Monday, declared that the former senator lacks the moral standing and public record required to speak or apologise to the Okun people on behalf of anyone.

According to the forum, Melaye’s years in public office were marked by noise rather than results, drama rather than development, and controversy instead of service.

“Leadership is measured by impact, and by that standard, his record falls short of what the people of Kogi West deserved,” the forum said.

It stated that as a Senator who represented Kogi West in the 8th Senate, Melaye became more widely known for public stunts and political quarrels than for meaningful contributions to his constituency.

According to the forum, the former senator earned national nicknames that turned him into a spectacle rather than a statesman. Instead of building alliances that could attract projects and opportunities to the district, he allegedly chose battles that isolated him and dragged the name of Kogi West into needless disputes.

The forum further claimed that the people of the zone did not benefit from concrete development during his time, noting the absence of visible youth employment schemes, sustained empowerment programmes, and lasting projects that could have transformed their daily lives.

“What the people witnessed were songs, viral moments, and empty political fights that added no value to the region,” the statement read.

The forum also referenced the abandoned fuel station in Melaye’s hometown of Ayetoro-Gbede, describing it as a symbol of missed opportunities. It noted that for nearly 15 years, the project remained incomplete, despite its potential to support local businesses and provide jobs for young people.

It alleged that while the project was left to decay, Melaye expanded business interests in Abuja, Dubai, the United Kingdom, and other parts of the world, raising questions about his true priorities.

While calling on Hon. Abejide to remain focused and avoid being drawn into political drama, the forum commended his record in office.

“Hon. Leke Abejide has built a record that speaks for itself. He has facilitated job opportunities, supervised the construction of asphalt roads, improved school infrastructure, and carried out empowerment programmes that reached students, youths, women, and families across Okunland,” it said.

The forum added that many sons and daughters of Okunland reject attempts to ridicule a leader who has delivered tangible projects and opportunities.

Describing Melaye’s move to discredit Abejide as “a desperate effort to remain relevant in a political environment that has moved beyond noise and drama,” the group said public trust in the former senator had declined sharply, particularly after his inability to command sufficient support during the 2023 governorship election.

“A leader who cannot secure the confidence of his own base cannot credibly claim to speak for an entire people,” the statement concluded.

The forum urged Melaye to embrace the true essence of leadership, stressing that the younger generation now demands results, integrity and visible progress rather than showmanship, luxury displays and personal attacks.

“It is time to end the distractions, abandon personal attacks, and either learn the hard lessons of leadership or step aside. We need human investment, not the flaunting of luxury cars and expensive homes,” the forum said.

This post has already been read at least 1140 times!