Dino Melaye blasts Akpabio, Abbas over failure to hold Tinubu to account

Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye has harshly criticized the 10th National Assembly for relinquishing its independence and not holding President Bola Tinubu accountable. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Melaye, who is a member of the African Democratic Congress, questioned the Senate and House of Representatives' handling of key issues such as constitutional amendments, electoral reforms, budget implementation, and security matters.

He described the current Assembly as merely an "extension of the Villa," asserting that it has abandoned its essential role of checking executive excesses.

In his paper titled "The 10th Assembly: The Pathway to Tinubu’s ‘Lifetime Presidency’," Melaye argued that presidents do not need to abolish term limits to amass excessive power if the institutions meant to restrain them fail to do so. He explained that Nigeria's constitution does not create an elected monarchy but rather a presidential democracy with a division of institutions to restrain any individual's power.

Despite passing bills, conducting investigations, and holding public hearings, Melaye questioned whether the National Assembly demonstrated sufficient independence when it truly mattered, especially when presidential power needed to be checked.

Melaye highlighted specific instances, such as the March 2025 declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, debates over the 2025 tax laws, disagreements on the Electoral Act 2026, budget implementation delays, the rising Service-Wide Votes, and the handling of constitutional amendments.