A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Dino Melaye, has urged President Bola Tinubu and members of his family to start packing their belongings from the Presidential Villa.
He declared that the ADC will defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections.
Melaye said the outcome of the election would reflect Nigerians’ growing dissatisfaction with the Tinubu administration, which he accused of failing to address hunger, insecurity and other challenges confronting the country.
The former senator and lawyer spoke in an interview with Arise TV on Monday.
He expressed confidence in the ADC’s chances, saying the party’s winning strategy was straightforward because Nigerians were ready for a change of government.
“The winning strategy for the ADC is very simple. The people are with us. The people are tired of maladministration.
“They are tired of lies. They are tired of borrowing. They are tired of three budgets in three successions not being implemented,” Melaye said.
He alleged that despite the government borrowing money to fund its budgets, several contracts awarded by the government remained unpaid.
“For example, you say you borrowed money to run the budget. You have borrowed the money. You have collected the money. But the budget has not been run.
“The budget has not been funded. Contracts awarded in 2024 have not been paid for. You are still implementing the 2024 budget in 2026,” he said.
Melaye said the hardship, insecurity, killings and alleged corruption in the country had created a disconnect between Nigerians and the government.
He maintained that Nigerians were watching the developments in the country and would express their dissatisfaction through the ballot.
“So I am telling you that this enchantment, the hunger in the land, the insecurity in the land, the killings in the land, the stealing, overstealing that is going on in the land already have shown and demonstrated that there is a complete disconnect between the people and government,” he said.
The ADC chieftain also criticised the Tinubu administration, saying Nigerians were now afraid of government rather than the government being mindful of the reactions of the people.
“But under Tinubu administration, people are afraid of government because they are so brazen, they are so wicked, they are so nonchalant, they don’t give a damn,” he said.
Melaye further accused the President of making comments suggesting that election rigging, violence and ballot snatching were acceptable in politics.
He said such statements were inappropriate for a President who should serve as a role model to young Nigerians.
“You have a president that have come out on air to tell the whole world that all is fair in politics. Rigging is fair in politics. Violence is fair in politics. Ballot snatching is fair in politics,” he said.
Melaye predicted that the result of the 2027 election would lead to a change of government, urging the President and his family to prepare to leave the Villa.
“And I’m telling you that the results will tell in January. The president and his family members should begin to pack their luggage and things from the villa, including those in the boys’ quarters of the villa, because there will be a change of government,” he said.
Melaye resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party in July 2025 and joined the ADC, after previously serving as spokesperson for the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
He has since become one of the ADC’s most vocal figures, pursuing legal challenges on the party’s behalf and clashing publicly with the Independent National Electoral Commission
Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has insisted that his position on subsidy has not changed, adding that he will restore it.
Speaking on Tuesday when he received the Osun State leadership of the ADC in Abuja, Atiku disowned comments made by one of his media aides, Paul Ibe, during an interview on AIT, stating that he was not speaking on his authority.
“Earlier, one of my press aides contradicted me in a policy statement as far as subsidy is concerned.
“I want to repeat categorically that when I said I would return to subsidy, I will! Nigeria is rich enough to look after the welfare of its citizens. Let it be clearly stated that he was not speaking on my own authority,” Atiku said.
Ibe had earlier in his interview said his principal would restore petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027, but would gradually phase out the intervention after the economy recovers.
But Atiku, in a statement posted on his X, countered, saying, “On the question of subsidy, my position has not changed and will not change: I will restore it! A nation as blessed as ours has no business abandoning its citizens to hardship. Nigeria is rich enough to look after her own.
“I believe the wealth of a nation is not measured by how much government collects, but by how much the money in the pockets of its people can buy.
“I want wages to have value again. I want farmers to move produce without transport swallowing their profits. I want families to fill their baskets without emptying their pockets. I want businesses to produce, employ and prosper.
“That is why I will restore targeted subsidy and put purchasing power back in the hands of Nigerians.
“When fuel rises, transport rises. When transport rises, food rises. When food rises, families suffer. I will break that wretched chain that has defined our national life in the nearly four years of Tinubu’s presidency.
“I will support Nigerian production, reduce energy costs and restore purchasing power. I will not restore the import racket; I will restore relief.
“I restated this commitment when I received the Osun State leadership of the ADC in Abuja on Tuesday. I will make the naira in your pocket worth more, make daily living affordable again, and secure our people. That is the Nigeria I intend to build.”
Atiku also drew a clear line between his proposed petroleum intervention and Nigeria’s former fuel import subsidy regime, saying any support under his administration would be targeted at domestic production and tied to measurable performance.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president’s camp said Atiku had not proposed bringing back the old system under which government subsidised imported petrol, but rather a capped and transparent intervention designed to support local refining, increase supply and ultimately bring down energy costs.
“For the avoidance of doubt, policy belongs to the candidate, not the spokesperson.
“Our responsibility as communicators is to explain Atiku’s position accurately, not create formulations capable of confusing Nigerians or handing opponents convenient talking points,” Shaibu said.
According to him, Atiku’s proposal would involve a “targeted, capped, transparently budgeted and independently audited subsidy,” for domestic refining and production.
The intervention, he added, would not operate according to an arbitrary withdrawal date.
Instead, it would be phased out as domestic refining capacity expands, fuel supply becomes more stable, and competition improves.
“There is no arbitrary withdrawal date. As domestic refining expands, supply stabilises, competition deepens, and the market becomes capable of delivering affordable prices without government support, the intervention progressively becomes unnecessary,” he added.
He likened the proposed arrangement to temporary scaffolding used during construction.
“You do not remove scaffolding because the calendar says so. You remove it when the building can stand securely on its own,” he said.
The clarification comes as the fuel subsidy debate has returned to the centre of the 2027 presidential contest.
President Bola Tinubu abolished the petrol subsidy at his inauguration on May 29, 2023, a decision that triggered a sharp increase in petrol prices and fed into a broader cost-of-living crisis.
The reform, alongside the liberalisation of the foreign exchange market, has also been defended by the Federal Government as necessary to strengthen public finances and attract investment.
The subsidy question has nevertheless remained politically sensitive because of its direct impact on transport, food prices, household expenses and the operating costs of businesses.
Atiku reignited the debate last week when he said he would bring back the petroleum subsidy if elected, arguing that Nigerians had not benefited sufficiently from the savings associated with its removal.
His latest clarification seeks to redefine that position as a production-support mechanism rather than a return to the old import-driven arrangement.
The ADC presidential candidate said any intervention would be subject to controls intended to prevent the leakages associated with the former subsidy regime.
Rather than focusing on when government support would end, Shaibu said the emphasis should be on whether the intervention achieves its intended economic objectives.
“The real question is simple: Why has everything become so expensive, and what will Atiku do to make life affordable again?” he asked.
He accused the Tinubu administration of transferring the burden of its economic reforms to households and businesses, arguing that an Atiku government would instead focus on reducing production and transportation costs, strengthening domestic refining and rebuilding purchasing power.
“Tinubu transferred the shock of his reforms to Nigerian families.
“Atiku will reduce production and transportation costs, strengthen domestic refining, and restore purchasing power.
“The choice is not removal of subsidy versus restoration of subsidy. It is Expensive Nigeria versus Affordable Nigeria,” Shaibu said.
Ibe, speaking on AIT, also said the proposed subsidy would differ from the former regime, as government support would be tied to crude oil production and domestic refining.
He said the policy would provide temporary relief to Nigerians and businesses, stimulate economic activity and improve productivity.
“What he’s simply saying is that the subsidy that he is advocating will be tied to the barrel, the crude oil barrel. This is perhaps the only thing that we have in so much abundance that Nigerians have not yet benefited from,” Ibe said.
According to him, crude oil would be supplied to local refiners at a discounted price, enabling them to produce petrol and diesel at lower costs, which would translate into reduced pump prices for consumers.
“The crude oil will be sold at a discounted price, subsidised to refiners, and that will enable refiners to be able to produce fuel and diesel at a cheap cost. And when they produce cheaply, they will sell at the real pump price,” he said.
Ibe said an independent committee would determine the appropriate price of crude oil supplied to refiners, taking prevailing market conditions into account.
He added that despite the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector, government could monitor prices to ensure refiners and marketers operated within the framework of the policy.
“There’ll be a window because, of course, we deregulated. You may not fix the price, but you can have price monitoring to ensure that everybody aligns with what government hopes to achieve,” he said.
Ibe said the intervention would be temporary and aimed at reviving economic activity and increasing productivity.
“It is not something that is… It is for a time, and it is essentially to ensure that we jumpstart this economy,” he said.
The former vice-president’s spokesman also criticised the administration of President Tinubu for removing petrol subsidy alongside other major economic reforms without allowing the economy sufficient time to adjust.
“No surgeon, no doctor would carry out two or more serious major surgeries, one after the other. They would do one, allow the patient to recuperate, and then undertake the second, or the third.
“But what has this administration done? The issue of subsidy, flippant. No cabinet. No advisers. Just in the heat of the moment, it has been removed. No shock absorbers. Nothing. No palliatives. Absolutely nothing,” Ibe said.
He argued that the simultaneous removal of petrol subsidy, deregulation of the foreign exchange market and electricity subsidy had worsened the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has said he asked former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to apologise to him following their heated exchange at the Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
Sowore said he made the demand after the confrontation at the conference, arguing that the former governor benefited from the democracy he fought to establish in Nigeria.
The AAC candidate stated this in an interview with Arise News on Tuesday while reflecting on his clash with Amaechi during the political session of the NBA conference on Monday.
Sowore said his political experience should not be measured only by whether he had previously held public office, stressing that his long-standing struggle for democracy and good governance had contributed to creating the platform on which politicians such as Amaechi rose to power.
He said, “That’s why I said to him after the event, I called him and said, you should have apologised to me, and he asked me to come over to his house to eat and drink a beer.
“And I said, no, I don’t want you to poison me, because I know you’re not happy. I don’t think he would do that. No, I mean, I’m just kidding.”
Sowore said he would not have been able to establish his record of political activism if Nigeria had remained under military rule, adding that Amaechi’s political career was also made possible by the return to democracy.
“If I didn’t fight for democracy, Rotimi Amaechi would not be standing there yesterday if we were still under military rule.
“He would never have been a speaker of the House for eight years, governor for eight years, minister for eight years. That’s one of the guys who benefited from my extraordinary struggle for democracy,” he said.
File: Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi
The former presidential candidate and publisher said his experience was derived from his passion and commitment to good governance, arguing that leadership was about vision, mission and the ability to bring people together to achieve results.
“When people are looking for leaders, they are not looking for an accountant alone, they’re looking for someone who understands a little bit of everything. And who can find everybody who can make things work. That’s what leadership is all about,” he said.
Sowore also rejected the argument that a person seeking the presidency must first have experience in governance, saying his activism had given him a different form of leadership experience.
“That is why I’m saying that they owe me a lot for creating the avenue for them to become leaders. Even though they didn’t fight for what made them become leaders, I did,” he said.
The AAC candidate had on Monday challenged the records of politicians who had previously held public office during the NBA conference, criticising Amaechi’s tenure as Rivers governor and his time as Minister of Transportation.
He had also faulted the former minister’s role in the country’s transportation policy, particularly in relation to fuel subsidy.
“We have a former governor of Rivers state here, Amaechi, who built a rail line that went nowhere. If that rail line was working subsidy would have been working for Rivers people,” Sowore said at the conference.
Amaechi, who is the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, defended his record, citing roads and primary schools built during his tenure as governor, as well as the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna railway projects executed while he was Transportation Minister.
He challenged Rivers lawyers at the conference to take Sowore around the state to see projects he had delivered.
The argument escalated when Amaechi told Sowore, “When politicians are talking, close your mouth.”
Sowore, however, said on Tuesday that the disagreement did not change his position that his contribution to Nigeria’s democratic development constituted a form of leadership experience.
He also maintained his opposition to the removal of fuel subsidy, saying he had warned against the policy long before the government implemented it.
“As a matter of fact, most of the ideas you are seeing that they are picking now, we started fighting for it. We have clearly articulated them. We told them, remove our subsidy, we’ll ruin the economy,” he said.
Sowore argued that the economic hardship Nigerians experienced after the removal of the subsidy vindicated his position, saying those who claimed to have greater experience had now adopted some of the positions he had long advocated.
He also took another swipe at Amaechi, saying the former governor was not an “Excellency” because he had not done anything excellent for Nigeria.
The comment came as Sowore and Amaechi continued to trade criticisms following their confrontation at the NBA conference, where politicians including Peter Obi and Adewole Adebayo also discussed governance, insecurity, fuel subsidy and Nigeria’s political future ahead of the 2027 elections.
Issues of fuel subsidy, state police and elections dominated discussions at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, leading to a clash amongst presidential candidates in the 2027 general elections.
File: NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi
Presidential candidates-Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Omoyele Sowore of African Action Congress, Donald Duke of People’s Redemption Party and Adewale Adebayo of Social Democratic Party- alongside the vice presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Rotimi Amaechi, disagreed over the best approach to tackling insecurity, poverty, policing, fuel subsidy and other national challenges.
File: Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi
The candidates, who participated in a presidential debate at the conference themed, “Beyond Limits: Redefining the Practice of Law,” outlined contrasting positions on security, economic management, policing, fuel subsidy and the performance of previous governments.
This is as the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, defended the Federal Government reforms, including state police.
The debate formed part of activities at the NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt and provided a platform for the presidential candidates to present their positions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi said Nigeria’s insecurity could not be tackled without addressing poverty, unemployment, corruption and weaknesses in the country’s security architecture.
The former Anambra State governor called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security strategy, advocating what he described as a “human security” approach.
He said, “You need to do a comprehensive overhaul or study of our strategy to a security problem today.
You need to audit the architecture that is driving that strategy and look at security from a human security perspective.”
According to Obi, reducing poverty and joblessness would help reduce criminality, while corruption and the diversion of public resources must also be confronted.
“The more you pull people out of poverty, the more you reduce insecurity. It is a known fact everywhere,” he said.
He also called for better coordination among security agencies, improved staffing and welfare for personnel, as well as support for local vigilantes and communities.
Obi identified intelligence gathering as one of the major weaknesses in Nigeria’s security system.
“As it were, the intelligence aspect of our security is very, very weak,” he said.
He further argued that Nigeria needed to move from a consumption-based economy to a production-driven one, particularly through investment in agriculture, to create jobs and reduce poverty.
“Nigeria is not a poor country. Nigeria is poor because those of us who are leaders are stealing the wealth of Nigeria and driving Nigeria into poverty,” he said.
On fuel subsidy, Sowore took a different position, vowing not to remove it if elected.
Omoyele Sowore. Credit: X | Sowore
He argued that the removal of petrol subsidy had benefited political elites and governors rather than ordinary Nigerians.
“The question about subsidy is, who are you subsidising? You are subsidising the elites. You are subsidising the governors,” Sowore said.
He accused successive administrations of repeatedly removing subsidy while promising Nigerians that the economy would improve.
“I will not remove subsidy because the poor in Nigeria need to be subsidised instead of the rich,” he said.
Sowore also criticised the records of former political officeholders, including Amaechi and Obi, challenging them to account for their performance while in government.
He accused Amaechi of failing to deliver meaningful infrastructure during his tenure as Rivers governor and criticised Obi’s administration in Anambra over alleged prolonged strikes by lecturers and doctors.
“You may like him as a person, but he did not perform as a governor. That is the truth,” Sowore said of Obi.
On insecurity, Sowore proposed a three-stage strategy beginning with what he described as stopping the “bleeding” through improved funding, equipment and welfare for security agencies.
He advocated an internationally standardised security system and said he would deploy technology, including drones, to strengthen national security.
Sowore also proposed a N500,000 minimum wage, arguing that security personnel and other workers should be adequately remunerated.
He said the second stage of his security plan would involve effective enforcement of laws and prosecution of those responsible for insecurity.
The AAC candidate linked insecurity to inequality, arguing that some young Nigerians were turning to kidnapping because of the prospect of making quick money.
He pledged free education, one million public homes, job creation and a transition from a fossil-fuel-dependent economy to a green economy.
Sowore further described terrorism in Nigeria as an “industry” and an “industrial complex,” arguing that insecurity could not be effectively tackled without addressing the alleged involvement of influential political figures.
Amaechi countered that tackling economic hardship and strengthening intelligence gathering were central to reducing insecurity.
He said any government seeking to tackle crime must create an economy that puts money in the pockets of Nigerians.
“If today lawyers can’t pay their salaries, if you’re not careful, some lawyers will become criminals because crime pays,” Amaechi said.
The former Minister of Transportation said the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari had strengthened regional intelligence cooperation by working with neighbouring countries, including Chad and the Benin Republic, to identify criminals.
Amaechi also drew from his experience as governor, saying security intelligence had enabled him to know the movements and activities of people within Rivers State.
“When I was governor, I knew where everybody was. I knew who was doing what. I knew who entered a hotel and came out of a hotel, and where he went to. And that information was passed to me every day. And I knew what to do,” he said.
He said that as Rivers State governor, he built over 500 primary schools, over 300 centres, over 200 roads and crimes were drastically reduced, hinting that he fought insecurity to a standstill with adequate intelligence gathering as a sitting governor.
Amaechi hinted that he would support community police over state police, because community policing will primarily detect real issues, pointing out that the Atiku-Amaechi ticket, when elected, will ensure political appointments are evenly spread across the country.
Amaechi defended his record in government after Sowore criticised his performance as governor and minister.
Pointing to the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna railway projects, he asked Nigerians to assess political candidates based on their records.
Speaking on a coalition for a single opposition presidential candidate to emerge, Amaechi said, “A coalition should be based on performance. And I say to you we should do a referendum. We have all served in government. Atiku has served in government, Peter Obi has served in government, I have served in government.
“All others have, apart from him and this (pointing at Sowore and Adebanjo). Assess us by our last performance and choose.
“Don’t just go because you are from Ikwerre or you’re from Omoku (both local government areas in Rivers State) and choose your …, No, that’s why we are running down.
“Coalition should be based on performance,” Amaechi said.
He subsequently challenged Sowore to show what he had achieved in public office.
“Sowore, I said I built that road. I built this road. I built this primary school. I built that primary school. Sowore, what is your experience?” he asked.
Sowore then took a swipe at Amaechi, saying the latter built a rail line in Port Harcourt that leads to nowhere, saying he has no business seeking power when he failed,
“Please don’t let these politicians lie to you. I love one thing that Amaechi said: apart from Sowore and Adebayo, the rest of us have been in government and we have failed. They have no business coming back. Yes. You guys should be apologising to the Nigerian people.”
On his part, Duke faulted the Federal Government’s position on fuel subsidy, arguing that Nigeria did not have a genuine subsidy regime.
Donald Duke of People’s Redemption Party. Photo crediT: File
Duke said the country could not remove a subsidy that, in his view, did not exist.
“You can’t remove what doesn’t exist. I postulate there is nothing like fuel subsidy,” he said.
The former Cross River State governor argued that Nigeria should take advantage of its crude oil resources to make petroleum products affordable and boost productivity.
He explained that crude oil produced several petroleum products, including Premium Motor Spirit, diesel and aviation fuel, stressing that the country should not compare the cost of petroleum products produced from its own natural resources with prices in countries that import their raw materials.
Duke also questioned the transparency of crude-for-product swap arrangements previously used by the country.
“When we were doing swaps, we said about 300,000 barrels of oil in exchange for petrol; no one ever mentioned the by-products. No one knows what went to. That’s why I believe it’s the biggest scam that has been perpetrated in this country. I don’t believe there’s a subsidy,” he said.
He illustrated his argument with the example of a farmer who produces 10 tonnes of maize annually but consumes one tonne to feed his family and workers.
“If you are a farmer, you produce 10 tonnes of maize annually, and you consume one to keep your workers going, to keep your family going, are you subsidising your family?” he asked.
Duke maintained that energy was central to economic productivity and should therefore be made readily available to Nigerians.
“For me, the overall essence of government is productivity of its people. So if that is the vision or the mission statement of government, all the factors that have to do with productivity must be made abundantly available,” he said.
He also rejected the argument that cheap petrol would encourage smuggling into neighbouring countries, asking whether Nigerians should be made to pay higher prices because of the government’s inability to police the borders.
“Are you going to punish your citizens due to your inability to police your borders?” Duke asked.
He suggested that petrol could be dyed a distinctive colour and traced to prevent its movement across the borders.
Duke described what he termed the country’s approach to administration as “mental laziness,” arguing that energy remained a critical driver of national development.
Meanwhile, Adebayo advocated decentralised policing, arguing that Nigeria’s federal structure should allow the Federal Government, states and local governments to establish their own police forces.
Adebayo said the issue should be viewed as a constitutional and federalism question rather than a political slogan.
“It is a principle of law that the sovereignty of Nigeria is divided between federal, state and local. The legislative power includes the power, or should include the power, to police,” he said.
He argued that any level of government with the power to make laws should also have the capacity to establish a police force to enforce those laws.
“If I can make laws, I should be able to create police to enforce my law. No level of government should depend on another level to enforce its own law,” Adebayo said.
When asked directly whether he supported state police, he said he favoured policing at all levels.
“I support police at every level of government. Federal, its own police. State, its own police. Local government, its own police. Because that is how it should be in federalism,” he said.
Adebayo described decentralised policing as an inherent right of the different levels of government, rather than a concession from the Federal Government.
He also blamed the centralised policing structure on military rule, alleging that military decrees abolished earlier policing arrangements and produced a constitution that was not sufficiently federalist.
Asked about the current proposal for state police, Adebayo described it as “a trick” by President Bola Tinubu.
In a keynote address titled “Policing in Transition,” Gbajabiamila spoke extensively on the administration’s reforms, why they matter, and the standards by which the administration’s work should be judged.
He said Tinubu had decided to confront a truth the country had ignored for too long by proceeding with the establishment of state police.
“Centralised policing without safeguards will bring about more chaos,” he said, adding that the reform introduced a dual policing system designed to correct existing imbalances.
“Nigerians must receive equal protection in every state, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or others,” he added.
Gbajabiamila stressed the importance of first agreeing on the specific problems the reforms are meant to solve. “It’s important that we agree on the specific nature of the problems we’re trying to solve with these reforms,” he said, citing the problem of police reach as a key example.
“Nigeria has one policeman for every 650 people, compared to the international benchmark of one policeman to every 450,” he noted, adding that the disparity becomes even more concerning “when you take note that most policemen are deployed for administrative and escort duties.”
Gbajabiamila stressed the need for proper training to prepare officers to enforce the law effectively.
“Training must prepare officers to enforce the law properly; professionalism is also very important,” he said, adding that “policing should become a respected career that every Nigerian chooses.”
Addressing the question of oversight, he asked: “Who polices the police?” He argued that “a governor elected by the people cannot be denied the right to carry out executive duties,” but stressed that “a governor shouldn’t be allowed to order the arrest of a political opponent.”
He added that “an officer who refuses an unlawful command must be protected as well,” insisting that “these protections mustn’t be just by word of mouth, but by strengthened institutions.”
Gbajabiamila further addressed concerns around the potential for partisan misuse of police powers under the proposed reforms.
