In new audio, Dino Melaye ‘discusses bribing Judge’

Controversial Nigerian Senator, Dino Melaye, who was recently at the centre of alleged academic fraud, is enmeshed in yet another scandal.

This time, Mr. Melaye, who represents Kogi West, is accused of offering to bribe a federal judge.

An audio published by news website, Sahara Reporters, on Tuesday, appears to contain exchanges between Mr. Melaye and the judge, Akon Ikpeme, as they duo discussed the bribe money.

Mrs. Ikpeme was the head of the Kogi State National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, which handled a case brought by Smart Adeyemi, a former senator, against Mr. Melaye’s election in 2015.

In the clip, a male voice believed to be Mr. Melaye’s, could be heard assuring a female speaker, supposedly the judge, of his readiness to pay some money, which the female speaker emphasised should be in “in USD (United States dollars).”

The exchange went thus:

Judge: I wanted to tell you that whatever you want to do, make it in USD

Dino: Of course, of course, of course, of course, of course, no problem madam, no problem.

It was unclear whether the money was finally paid.

Earlier in the recording, the judge had informed the Senator that she had returned to her state, Cross Rivers, apparently after her work at the tribunal.

Mr. Melaye assured he would reach Mrs. Ikpeme after returning from a London trip with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

Apart from money, the conversation also revealed that the judge relied on the Senator to peddle his influence to get her daughter a job placement in Cross Rivers State’s civil service.

Mr. Melaye boasted that he had already spoken with the governor, Ben Ayade, and a permanent secretary in the state ministry of health for the job.

Mrs. Ikpeme had in June 2015 dismissed Mr. Adeyemi’s petition against Mr. Melaye’s senatorial election as being “incurably defective”.

But the Court of Appeal in Abuja, in July 2015, set aside that ruling and ordered a re-trial.

The appeal court held that the tribunal was wrong in striking out Mr. Adeyemi’s petition on technicalities, instead of substantial justice, and therefore, ruled that the case be resent to the tribunal for “trial on merit”.

Again, the Ikpeme-led tribunal upheld Mr. Melaye’s election in October 2015 for lack of merit.

In December 2015, the appeal court upheld the tribunal’s second verdict, thereby ending Mr. Adeyemi’s hope of returning to the Senate.

Mr. Melaye told PREMIUM TIMES he could not talk “right now” via a text, after rejecting repeated calls.

Our follow-up text seeking reaction to the development, was not replied.

Mr. Ikpeme could not be reached.