Melaye Dares Tinubu to Free, Fair Election

FORMER lawmaker representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye, has boasted of his capacity to defeat President Bola Tinubu in a credible election, asserting that the current administration has fallen short of national expectations.

Melaye, who spoke during an interview, expressed readiness to face the President at the polls, provided the process is transparent and devoid of manipulation.

Me, Dino Melaye… Let’s go to a free and fair election. I will beat him flat in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the former senator declared.

While criticizing the performance of the incumbent government, Melaye claimed that even candidates from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) would outperform the President, stating, Anybody among those interested in the presidency in ADC would do one million times better than Tinubu. They can never be a worse president than Tinubu.

Despite his personal confidence, Melaye clarified that his immediate priority is not his individual ambition but the emergence of a formidable, united opposition to challenge the ruling party.

He noted that the opposition’s primary goal is to rescue the country, adding that he is prepared to set aside his interests for the sake of a consensus candidate.

My view is that we must send Tinubu away. Whoever emerges from consensus or from a primary, I will support. I am not interested in any joint ticket or non-joint ticket; we are only interested in rescuing this country, he said.

The former lawmaker also raised concerns over the alleged influence of the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu, in the affairs of the state. He claimed that non-elected individuals were exercising undue authority over government officials and ministers.

Drawing a comparison, Melaye said, My son will not interfere with governance. My son will not summon DGs of parastatals and agencies of government and ministers.

He further referenced comments by Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, regarding the visibility of the President’s family in public administration, warning that such a trend was detrimental to the nation’s democratic health.

Melaye further alleged that the President might be reluctant to allow a credible electoral process in future polls.

“Let him allow a free and fair contest. And if he doesn’t allow it, we will make him conduct our election. Because he doesn’t want an election. He wants to be Kabiyesi. He wants to be Igwe, Melaye added.

He maintained that opposition figures are currently fine-tuning strategies to ensure a change in leadership, stressing that unity remains the only path to achieving their objective.