The Deputy Director General of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Dino Melaye, has warned that the party will defend itself against what he described as increasing attacks, intimidation and harassment of opposition members ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Melaye, who spoke in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday , said the ADC would no longer remain silent in the face of alleged attacks on its members, insisting that the party would resist attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to intimidate the opposition.
He declared, “All die na die. We will defend ourselves. The ADC will not sit, keep quiet and allow APC to continue intimidating us.”
Melaye alleged that opposition members and candidates had suffered attacks in several states, including Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina and Kogi, claiming that properties had been destroyed and people injured.
He also alleged that an ADC supporter was beaten and killed in Edo State, while describing the incidents as part of what he called a deliberate campaign of intimidation against opposition parties.
He said, “Despite the fact that there have been attacks on the opposition, and it’s not only ADC, they’ve killed some of our members in some places. Just a few days ago, our governorship candidate in Sokoto was attacked. Our governorship candidate in Kaduna was attacked. Our governorship candidate in Katsina was attacked. In Kogi State, they destroyed properties. They injured people.”
The former lawmaker, however, insisted that the ADC remained a non-violent party but maintained that its members had a constitutional right to defend themselves against attacks.
He said, “ADC is a non-violent party. But defending yourself, Charles, is a constitutional right. It is a God-given right. It is an inalienable right that I should defend myself.”
Melaye further alleged that the party had received intelligence suggesting that the APC planned to prevent its aircraft from taking off from the airport ahead of its political engagements in Sokoto on Wednesday.
He said, “As I’m speaking with you, we have received intelligence this evening that APC is going to stop our planes from flying on our way to Sokoto on Wednesday, that it will not allow our planes to take off at the airport. But we are laughing because we are waiting to see how they want to do it.”
On the credibility of the 2027 general elections, Melaye accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of violating provisions of the Electoral Act, warning that the commission’s alleged infractions raised questions about its preparedness to conduct credible elections.
He specifically accused INEC of failing to publish the voters’ register within the statutory 90-day period, insisting that the commission had contravened the law.
He said, “INEC has contravened the provisions of the Electoral Act. And when you have an organisation that is a lawbreaker, an institution that has broken the very law it is supposed to implement, that institution has integrity questions.”
Melaye added, “INEC is given 90 days to publish all the voters’ lists. Ninety days is over. INEC has not done that. The law gives 90 days. I’m a lawyer. Ninety days is 90 days, irrespective of situations and circumstances.”
He said the matter would be tested in court but declined to disclose whether the ADC had commenced legal proceedings.
The ADC chieftain also questioned the integrity of INEC’s voters’ register, citing an alleged increase in the number of registered voters at a polling unit in Osun State from about 400 to more than 4,000.
He claimed that an examination of photographs in the register revealed repeated images, including one photograph allegedly appearing nine times against different identification numbers.
According to him, “We have one particular photograph that was repeated nine times, but with different identification numbers. At the end of the day, the team failed integrity tests. That is, there’s AI imputation by 89 per cent.”
Melaye also criticised INEC over the creation of 453 additional polling units, alleging that the process was conducted without adequate public consultation or the involvement of relevant stakeholders.
He contrasted the exercise with the 2023 polling unit creation process, which he said involved government representatives, traditional rulers, the Nigerian Labour Congress and farmers’ associations, alongside five public hearings.
He questioned why new polling units were being created when some existing ones had not been adequately populated, alleging that the development pointed to what he described as anticipatory rigging ahead of the 2027 elections.
On government spending and legislative oversight, Melaye accused the National Assembly of failing to hold the executive accountable over the rising allocations to the service-wide vote in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 budgets.
He cited approximately N26 trillion allocated to the service-wide vote over the three years, arguing that the funds were subject to presidential discretion and required greater transparency.
He said, “In 2022, Buhari raised it to its highest in history, which was N2-point-something trillion. Surprisingly, in 2024, this prodigal government raised it to N4-point-something trillion.”
He added, “In 2025, the Tinubu administration raised a service-wide vote to N9-point-something trillion from N4-point-something trillion. In 2026, they raised it from N9-point-something trillion to N12-point-something trillion. In three years, N26-point-something trillion allocated for service-wide votes.”
Melaye argued that the special nature of the service-wide vote created opportunities for misuse and abuse because, unlike regular budgetary allocations, its expenditure was subject to presidential approval.
He said, “It’s not one of those budget lines that you must observe financial protocols. You must go through due process. It must go through any of the MDAs and some level of financial guidelines. But the service-wide vote is different. It’s actually spent at the discretion and comfort of the President.”
He also accused the National Assembly of failing to question the rising allocations, despite its constitutional responsibility to scrutinise government expenditure and exercise oversight over the executive.
Melaye described the legislature as having become an extension of the Presidency, alleging that its leadership’s dependence on presidential influence had weakened its independence.
He said, “Unfortunately, the National Assembly has become a parastatal of the Villa. It has become a department of the Presidency. There is no check, there is no balance.”
Comparing the current legislature with the Eighth National Assembly, in which he served, Melaye said the emergence of its leadership through the votes of lawmakers gave it greater independence.
He cited the rejection of ministerial and ambassadorial nominees during that period as examples of effective legislative oversight.
He also criticised the National Assembly’s handling of the amendment to the Police Act, alleging that the process was rushed to accommodate the extension of the Inspector-General of Police’s tenure.
According to him, the amendment passed through its legislative stages without adequate time for public scrutiny or a public hearing.
Melaye maintained that an ADC-led government would ensure the independence of the legislature and strengthen its oversight responsibilities through relevant committees, including those on establishment, finance, budget and planning.
He also addressed his earlier 14-day ultimatum to lawmakers, threatening an Occupy National Assembly protest if they failed to respond to his demands.
He said the countdown began after lawmakers resumed from their recess and that he was still monitoring developments, but expressed disappointment over what he described as the legislature’s rapid approval of government loans.
Melaye maintained that the National Assembly must distinguish between political cooperation with the President and its constitutional responsibility to hold the executive accountable.
Boluwatife Enome
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