“Tinubu is Afraid of Election, Wants to be Coronated as Kabiyesi” – Melaye

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dino Melaye, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of attempting to stifle opposition parties and undermine Nigeria’s democratic system, alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is afraid of free and fair elections.

“The truth is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is afraid of elections, he is so afraid that he does not even trust the people in the APC. He knows the people in the APC are deceiving him; he knows that the implosion going on in the APC will consume him, so he doesn’t want any opposition. APC has deliberately destroyed PDP, SDP, LP and now the hammer is on ADC because he wants to be coronated as Kabiyesi – the king of Nigeria and we are going to prove that there’s no king in this country.”

Speaking on Arise TV on Wednesday in reaction to a protest held by ADC leadership and supporters at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Melaye claimed that the President does not trust even members within his own party due to internal crises, warning that the ongoing “implosion” within the APC could have political consequences.

He further alleged that the APC-led government has systematically weakened opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Labour Party (LP), and now the ADC, in a bid to eliminate political competition.

According to Melaye, the protest, organised with minimal notice demonstrated widespread dissatisfaction among Nigerians over economic hardship and governance under the APC administration.

“There was no mobilisation of any sort; the information for the protest went out only yesterday evening, yet Nigerians came out in large numbers. This shows they are tired of hunger, hardship, and the ineptitude of the APC government,” he said.

Melaye stated that the demonstration was aimed at reaffirming democratic ideals, stressing that governance must remain “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” rather than what he described as “government by the greedy, for the greedy.”

He also accused the ruling party of attempting to compromise the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging moves to make the electoral body subservient to the Presidency, an action he said would be resisted.

“The attack is not just on ADC but on democracy and democratic institutions. We will not allow INEC to become a parastatal of the Presidency,” he added.

On internal party matters, Melaye addressed the leadership dispute within the ADC, maintaining that former Senate President David Mark remains the duly recognised national chairman of the party.

He explained that at a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on July 29, 2025, and attended by representatives of INEC, the leadership of Mark was ratified. He added that the party formally communicated the decision to INEC in August, with acknowledgement of receipt.

“Status quo means the situation as it was before the hostility. On July 29, 2025, we had an NEC meeting where Nafiu Gombe and INEC were present where the leadership of David Mark was ratified. In August, we wrote to INEC that David Mark is now the leader of the party even though they were present and INEC certified receiving the letter and Nafiu went to Court in September 2 so if you are saying what the situation was, the situation was that David Mark was the Chairman of the ADC. And Nafiu resigned on May 26, 2025.”

Melaye further noted that a rival claimant, Nafiu Gombe, had resigned earlier in May 2025 before proceeding to court in September to challenge the leadership structure.

Reaffirming the party’s position, Melaye said the ADC leadership remains united and committed to “rescuing the country.”