Pack your bags, Melaye tells Tinubu ahead of 2027 polls

Dino Melaye, a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has issued a stark warning to President Bola Tinubu and his family, advising them to "start packing their belongings" from the Presidential Villa ahead of the 2027 general elections. Melaye declared that the ADC is poised to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), asserting that the election outcome will reflect Nigerians' deep dissatisfaction with the current administration.

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The winning strategy for the ADC is very simple. The people are with us. The people are tired of maladministration. They are tired of lies. They are tired of borrowing. They are tired of three budgets in three successions not being implemented.

Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, Melaye accused the Tinubu administration of failing to tackle critical issues such as hunger, insecurity, and other pressing challenges facing the nation. He expressed confidence in the ADC's electoral prospects, stating that the party's strategy is straightforward because Nigerians are "ready for a change of government." Melaye elaborated, "The people are tired of maladministration. They are tired of lies. They are tired of borrowing. They are tired of three budgets in three successions not being implemented."

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For example, you say you borrowed money to run the budget. You have borrowed the money. You have collected the money. But the budget has not been run. The budget has not been funded. Contracts awarded in 2024 have not been paid for. You are still implementing the 2024 budget in 2026.

Melaye further alleged that despite the government's claims of borrowing to fund its budgets, numerous awarded contracts remain unpaid. He pointed to a scenario where borrowed funds are collected, but the budget is not adequately funded, and contracts from 2024 are still awaiting payment, even as the 2024 budget is supposedly being implemented in 2026. He argued that the pervasive hardship, insecurity, killings, and alleged corruption have created a significant disconnect between the government and the populace.

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So I am telling you that this enchantment, the hunger in the land, the insecurity in the land, the killings in the land, the stealing, overstealing that is going on in the land already have shown and demonstrated that there is a complete disconnect between the people and government.

The former senator criticized the Tinubu administration for fostering an environment where citizens fear the government, rather than the government being mindful of public reactions. "But under Tinubu administration, people are afraid of government because they are so brazen, they are so wicked, they are so nonchalant, they don’t give a damn," Melaye stated. He also accused the President of making statements that normalize election rigging, violence, and ballot snatching, deeming such rhetoric inappropriate for a national role model.

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But under Tinubu administration, people are afraid of government because they are so brazen, they are so wicked, they are so nonchalant, they don’t give a damn.