Former Nigerian senator and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Dino Melaye has explained why he says he will “never” support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Melaye, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ADC in July 2025, shared his position on Instagram, listing 14 reasons for his opposition to the Tinubu administration.
Here are the reasons he gave:
Fuel price increase: Melaye claimed that within three years of Tinubu's administration, the price of fuel increased by about 500 percent.
Electricity generation: He criticised the government's power sector performance, claiming that Nigerians are paying more for electricity despite what he described as insufficient improvement in electricity generation compared with Tinubu's earlier promises.
Higher electricity tariffs: Melaye specifically criticised the increase in electricity tariffs for Band A customers, saying the rate rose from about ₦68 to ₦225 per kilowatt-hour by 2024.
Food inflation: He pointed to Nigeria's high food inflation, claiming that the country recorded its highest level in two decades, with food inflation reaching 40.8 percent as of June 2024.
Food insecurity: Melaye claimed that 34 million Nigerians entered acute food insecurity in 2026, arguing that the figure represents a serious deterioration in the country's food situation.
Youth unemployment: He questioned Tinubu's performance on youth employment, recalling the president's 2023 promise to reduce youth unemployment by half and asking Nigerian youths whether they have seen meaningful progress.
Rising transportation costs: Melaye said the cost of flying business class between Lagos and Abuja had increased dramatically, claiming that a trip that cost him about ₦180,000 in 2023 now costs around ₦720,000.
Insecurity: He argued that insecurity, which he claimed was previously concentrated mainly in parts of the North-East, Plateau and Benue, has now become a problem affecting virtually the entire country.
Hunger and poverty: Melaye said he could not support a president whom he believes has failed to adequately confront hunger and poverty. He also criticised comments attributed to Tinubu concerning the existence of hunger before his birth.
Political conduct: He said he would not support a president whom he accused of accepting the idea that “all is fair in politics,” citing allegations involving ballot snatching, violence, corruption, electoral manipulation, intimidation and misuse of institutions.
Government borrowing: Melaye criticised the administration's borrowing, claiming that Tinubu had taken more loans than any previous president in Nigeria's history without enough visible results to justify the borrowing.
National honours and major contracts: He alleged that Tinubu gave Nigeria's second-highest national honour to a Lebanese business associate in Paris and awarded the same individual what Melaye described as Africa's largest infrastructure project, allegedly worth ₦13 trillion. These are allegations made by Melaye and are presented here as his claims.
Ethnic bias and institutional interference: Melaye accused Tinubu of ethnic bias and alleged that the president demonstrated influence over government institutions by directing the EFCC to withdraw an order concerning bank accounts linked to Osun State. These claims were made by Melaye and have not been independently established in the statement provided.
Allegations about Tinubu's fitness and associates: Melaye questioned Tinubu's physical and medical fitness for office and made several personal allegations concerning a person he described as Tinubu's relation, including claims about dual citizenship, alleged drug trafficking and a lack of publicly known background. These are serious allegations made by Melaye and should not be treated as established facts without independent evidence.
Melaye's comments represent a strong political rejection of the Tinubu administration, with his criticisms focusing largely on economic hardship, electricity, food insecurity, unemployment, insecurity, government borrowing, political conduct and alleged institutional interference.
He concluded that these issues are among the reasons he does not intend to support Tinubu politically.
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