Detained Senator, representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, shined yesterday, at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally in Lokoja, Kogi State, as his party leaders demanded his release.

Melaye had turned himself in to the police after eight days of laying siege to his Abuja residence.

However, the embattled senator, who is Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign spokesman, stole the show as speaker after speaker called for his immediate release.

As it happened during his recall saga, while also in detention, Melaye, who has been very outspoken at the zonal rallies, could not be part of rally to flag-off the electioneering campaigns in his home state.

Speaking, Atiku, Senate President Bukola Saraki and other leaders of the party renewed their call for Melaye’s immediate release to enable him campaign for the election.

Atiku said Melaye, who he described as the most prominent, promising and vibrant young politician in Kogi State, has been detained even as he called for his immediate release, while he chorused ‘Free Dino, Free Dino!’

He noted that Kogi has all it takes to be the most promising state in the country, saying the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government could not even pay salaries.

He said Kogi ranks the first in the area of unemployment, adding the APC has failed because it could not do anything except to owe workers salaries.

Atiku promised to create jobs and complete the inland Port, the Ajaokuta Steel Company and the abandoned Geregu 1 and 2 power projects, among others.

On restructuring, he said it is even a beacon of hope for Kogi State to be able to develop from its own endowments.

Responding, Saraki said the rally coincides with Melaye’s birthday as he asked for his release unconditionally and congratulated the Kogi PDP, which like its Kwara State counterpart, are in the forefront of leading PDP to victory.