A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dino Melaye, has given the National Assembly 14 days to demonstrate its independence from President Bola Tinubu’s administration or face an “Occupy National Assembly” protest.
Melaye, Deputy Director-General for Contact and Mobilisation of the ADC presidential campaign, issued the ultimatum at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, accusing lawmakers of failing to hold the executive accountable on key constitutional, electoral and fiscal matters.
He challenged Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to prove that the legislature remained an independent arm of government rather than an institution that routinely endorsed presidential decisions.
The former Kogi West senator said the Constitution established a system of checks and balances, not an elected monarchy, warning that excessive concentration of power could weaken democratic safeguards.
Melaye cited controversies surrounding amendments to the Nigeria Police Act, the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, discrepancies in versions of tax laws, the Electoral Act 2026 and government expenditure as examples of what he described as inadequate legislative scrutiny.
On the Nigeria Police Act amendment initiated by Tinubu in July 2024, Melaye questioned why the bill passed through all three readings in both chambers on the same day.
The amendment allowed an Inspector-General of Police to remain in office until the end of the tenure specified in his appointment letter, notwithstanding the ordinary retirement provisions.
Melaye said the speed of passage raised questions about the depth of scrutiny given to a law affecting the leadership of an institution with a significant role in election security.
He acknowledged that professional relationships between the President and successive police chiefs did not establish wrongdoing but argued that stronger institutional safeguards were necessary to protect the force’s political neutrality.
The ADC chieftain also questioned the National Assembly’s approval of the state of emergency declared in Rivers State on March 18, 2025. He argued that the use of voice votes by both chambers raised questions about compliance with Section 305(6)(b) of the Constitution, which prescribes a two-thirds majority of all members of each chamber.
On the tax laws, Melaye referred to reported findings by a House of Representatives ad hoc committee in January 2026 that discrepancies existed between certified copies of the legislation and earlier gazetted versions.
He said the release of certified copies was insufficient without a clear explanation of how the discrepancies occurred, who was responsible and whether anyone had been held accountable.
Melaye also criticised the handling of the Electoral Act 2026, particularly the controversy surrounding the House of Representatives’ decision to rescind an earlier position on mandatory real-time electronic transmission of election results.
He referred to proceedings on February 17, 2026, when Abbas declared that the ayes had carried a rescission motion, despite protests from lawmakers who disputed the outcome of the voice vote.
The former senator further questioned the removal of qualification as an express ground for challenging an election under Section 138 of the 2026 Act, compared with Section 134 of the 2022 law. He acknowledged, however, that constitutional qualification requirements remained in force and that pre-election procedures for challenging candidates’ eligibility were retained.
On public spending, Melaye raised concerns about capital budget implementation and the growth of service-wide votes.
He cited Tinubu’s reported acknowledgement during the presentation of the 2026 budget that only about ₦3.10tn, representing approximately 17.7 per cent of the 2025 capital budget, had been released by the third quarter of that year.
He also put Service-Wide Votes at approximately ₦4.08tn in 2024, ₦9.31tn in 2025 and ₦12.83tn in 2026, totalling about ₦26.22tn over the three years.
Although he acknowledged that the Budget Office had explained that the 2026 allocation covered identifiable obligations, he said lawmakers still had a duty to scrutinise releases and expenditure. He called for details of the outcome of an earlier House investigation into alleged abuse of the funds.
Melaye also questioned a proposal for a single six-year term for presidents and governors, which Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said he intended to introduce in the 11th Senate after the 2027 elections.
He urged lawmakers to clarify how any constitutional amendment would apply to incumbents and ensure that transitional provisions did not inadvertently extend existing tenures.
Melaye warned that failure to address the issues could further erode public confidence in democratic institutions, arguing that the legislature needed to demonstrate independence through effective oversight, transparency and accountability.
He said he would mobilise Nigerians for the proposed protest if lawmakers failed to act within the 14-day period.
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