馃嚦馃嚞NigeriaWest Africa
Dino Melaye criticizes President Tinubu's Democracy Day broadcast, calls for resignation
via Punch Nigeria4 min read
Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu鈥檚 Democracy Day broadcast, stating it was detached from the realities faced by Nigerians. Speaking in Abuja at a colloquium honoring Raymond Dokpesi, Melaye asserted that the speech failed to reflect the hardships of ordinary Nigerians, calling its statistics faulty and intentions disingenuous. He also cited worsening insecurity, including recent kidnappings and killings in Oyo and Kogi states, as evidence of the country's deteriorating situation. Melaye argued that the President should have declared a state of emergency regarding security and that the current administration demonstrates gross incompetence. He referenced Section 42b of the Constitution, emphasizing that the security and welfare of the people are the government's primary prerogative, and suggested that a leader who fails in these areas is a failed president. Melaye concluded that the President is overwhelmed and lacks the capacity to lead, calling for his honorable resignation. Additionally, former Nigerian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Nkoyo Toyo, urged Nigerians not to assume the outcome of the 2027 presidential election is predetermined and to engage in the selection of INEC commissioners. Former Benue State Attorney-General, Alex Ter Adum, expressed concern over the shrinking democratic space and declining tolerance for dissenting views.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
The African Democratic Congress ADC has criticized President Bola Tinubu's Democracy Day address, describing it as an admission of the All Progressives Congress's APC failure to deliver on promises after more than a decade in power. The opposition party stated that Tinubu's speech was "another campaign speech masquerading as a presidential address," arguing that Nigerians require tangible results instead of new assurances on economic recovery, security, and job creation. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC questioned the performance of both Tinubu's administration and the APC government since 2015. The party noted that the speech was "long on promises and short on answers," resembling a candidate's address rather than that of a government in its fourth year. The ADC accused the President of failing to account for his administration's performance on a day commemorating the June 12, 1993 presidential election. The party highlighted that issues like insecurity, unemployment, poverty, and economic decline, which the APC promised to address in 2015, remain significant challenges. The ADC also criticized the administration's focus on future prospects while many Nigerians face severe economic hardship, including high food prices and soaring transportation costs. The party argued that Democracy Day should have been an opportunity for the President to explain the APC's stewardship over the last decade, rather than presenting a "catalogue of fu
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa stated that insecurity poses a significant threat to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. Speaking at the 33rd anniversary of the June 12 Presidential Election in Akure, Governor Aiyedatiwa emphasized that democracy requires the collective commitment of citizens to uphold its values and principles. He noted that while democracy is a continuous journey measured by good governance, it can only truly thrive in an atmosphere of peace and security. Insecurity, he added, weakens democratic values, discourages civic participation, and erodes public trust. Governor Aiyedatiwa commended President Bola Tinubu's administration for its efforts to address insecurity through the "Renewed Hope Agenda," including strengthening coordination among security agencies and supporting decentralized policing. He also highlighted his administration's commitment to good governance, infrastructure renewal, and ensuring the safety of lives and property under the "OUR EASE Agenda." Former Edo State Governor Senator Adam Oshiomhole, the guest speaker, underscored that democracy enables citizens to question political leaders and promotes accountability, transparency, and the rule of law.
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