Dino was born on January 7, 1974, in a small town called Ayetoro Gbede in Kogi State.
He grew up in this town in Kogi State. As a young boy, he went to Abdulaziz Attah Memorial College, located in the nearby town of Okene.
After finishing secondary school, Dino wanted to continue his education. He got accepted into Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. Dino chose to study geography, and in 2000, he completed his geography degree.
From NANS to Presidential Advisory Council
Dino Melaye’s journey into leadership begins with his role in the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). He became the Secretary-General of the African Youth Council and later the Commonwealth Youth Council.
He was also appointed by President Olusegun Obasanjo to chair the Presidential Advisory Council on Youths, setting the stage for his political career.
Party switches and advocacy
Melaye evolved from a senator and member of the House of Representatives. He was first with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but later went to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015, and he returned to the PDP in 2019 amidst political upheavals with the Kogi State governor.
He was also the spokesperson for the 2023 PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Bills, motions, and committee chairmanships
Melaye’s legislative footprint in the 8th and 9th Nigerian National Assembly was great. He was a chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and the Senate Committee on Aviation in Nigeria.
He sponsored a bill, including the establishment of a Federal University of Agriculture in Kabba and his advocacy for protections against lynching and extrajudicial executions.
Certificate scandal
Back in 2017, there was quite a buzz around Melaye and his academic credentials. He said he got a Bachelor’s degree from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and even threw in a claim about a degree from Harvard University in the U.S. However, a lot of these claims were hanging in the unverified zone.
Melaye stuck to his guns, insisting everything was legit. But then, his buddy Sen. Ali Ndume wasn’t buying it and wanted the senate to dig deeper. Melaye went a step further, boasting not just one, but seven degrees from around the globe, including big names like Harvard and London School of Economics.
Hold on, because Harvard wasn’t having it. They said Melaye only popped in for a week-long gig in 2016. London School of Economics chimed in too, stating their database had no trace of him earning any degree.
The plot thickened, but in the end, the Vice-Chancellor of ABU, Ibrahim Garba, stepped in. He told the Senate Committee that, yeah, Melaye did graduate from ABU, but under a different name.
Gubernatorial aspirations
Dino Melaye wanted to be the big boss in Kogi State, so he joined the race for governor in 2019. But things didn’t go his way. In the primary election on September 3, 2019, he didn’t get the votes he needed. He ended up in third place with just 70 votes, while Engr. Musa Wada took the crown with 748 votes.
Fast forward to 2023, and it’s a different story. Melaye has bounced back! He’s now the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election in Kogi State. But has lost again in the general election.
Personal Life
Melaye isn’t married right now. He used to be married to Tokunbo Melaye for ten years, but they split up because of some domestic violence issues. They have three kids together.
Authorship
In May 2016, Melaye wrote a book called “Antidotes For Corruption: The Nigerian Story.” People didn’t really like it, especially because Melaye’s reputation wasn’t the best. The book launch stirred more controversy because it was led by Senate President Bukola Saraki and former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan, who were both caught up in different corruption cases.
The book got flak for its not-so-great language—using ‘for’ instead of ‘to’ in the title and being called a “cut and paste” job from newspaper articles. Some folks thought it lacked original ideas from the author.
Awards and recognitions
Melaye has grabbed a bunch of awards, like Best Honourable Representative of the Year, Protector of the Youth, and more. He’s been recognized by various groups, including students and youth organizations. In 2005, he even got the African Parliamentarian of the Year Award in the U.S.A. He didn’t stop there; he also bagged the ‘Senator of the Year’ title in 2017 and 2018.
