Tinubu Is Now the Court, Melaye Alleges as ADC Crisis Deepens

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

A fresh twist has emerged in the leadership crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as former lawmaker Dino Melaye accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of attempting to influence the judiciary ahead of the Supreme Court of Nigeria verdict on the party’s disputed National Working Committee (NWC). Melaye alleged that Tinubu, during a meeting with Renewed Hope Ambassadors last week Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, subtly signalled the judiciary by describing an opposition convention as illegal despite the matter being before the courts. The Kogi state born lawmaker insisted that no court in Nigeria had made such a pronouncement, warning that the President’s remarks amounted to undue interference.

Melaye spoke on Tuesday at a gathering of serving and former National Assembly members convened to deliberate on the state of democracy held at Yar’Adua centre ahead of the apex court’s ruling on the legitimacy of the Senator David Mark-led ADC NWC. “You will see from his speech when he was addressing his coordinators few days ago, Mr. President prompted Judiciary because he called our convention illegal. So he has constituted himself to now be the court,” he claimed. “He has the power to declare what is legal and what is illegal for a matter that is pending in court. And as of today, no court in Nigeria have pronounced our convention illegal. But addressing his coordinators, he was given a body language and signal to the judiciary by addressing our convention illegal when no courts said so. That is prompting the judiciary, that is very unprecedential.” The allegations come against the backdrop of Tinubu’s high-profile engagement last Thursday with leaders and coordinators of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, a nationwide political mobilisation platform widely linked to his 2027 re-election strategy. While the Presidency has framed the Villa meeting as a routine mobilisation and governance engagement, Melaye and opposition figures argue that certain remarks particularly references to “illegal conventions” could be interpreted as pre-empting judicial decisions.

At the meeting, the President struck a defiant tone, dismissing opposition pressure and vowing to stay the course on economic reforms. “They want to scare me off? That is a lie. If I have to go through it again, I will,” Tinubu declared. In remarks now drawing heightened scrutiny, Tinubu also emphasised strict adherence to the rule of law and judicial authority: “We cannot submit to disobedience of lawful court orders. We must embrace the judiciary, whether it favours us or not.” He further warned against what he described as illegitimate political processes, stating that democracy must not be undermined by “the rascality of street conventions.”

Melaye’s latest broadside is part of a sustained campaign against the ruling party. Earlier this month, he accused the APC and President Tinubu of orchestrating the ADC leadership crisis, alleging that the ruling party aims to weaken the opposition ahead of 2027. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Melaye said Tinubu “wants to be coronated; he doesn’t want an election” and described the situation as “an affront on democracy.” The ADC has been mired in internal legal disputes that could affect its cohesion and readiness for the upcoming elections. The subject matter of the appeal marked SC/CV/180/2026 is a dispute involving Mark and four others, including Gombe, the party, Rauf Aregbesola, INEC, and Chief Ralph Nwosu. The legal tussle stems from a dispute initiated by Gombe, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, who challenged the emergence of Mark and Aregbesola as national chairman and secretary, arguing that their appointments violated the party’s constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.

The Presidency has pushed back. Tinubu’s aide, O’tega Ogra, ridiculed Melaye over his remarks, calling him “loud, empty, and predictable” and highlighting his repeated electoral failures. Reacting on X, Ogra dismissed Melaye’s intervention as a continuation of what he called a “politics of mockery over substance,” contrasting it with Tinubu’s measured, results-driven approach to governance. Ogra also detailed Melaye’s electoral record, highlighting his repeated defeats: his 2019 Kogi West senatorial victory was nullified by the Court of Appeal due to proven electoral malpractice, over-voting, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. “Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is still President,” Ogra said, emphasizing the contrast between Tinubu’s political resilience and Melaye’s cyclical pattern of contest, litigate, lose, and rebrand under the ADC banner.

The ADC National Legislators Serving and Former Forum (ADC-NF) has raised concerns over what it described as growing threats to Nigeria’s democracy, accusing the presidency of actions capable of undermining opposition politics and judicial independence. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Nnenna Ukeje of the 8th National Assembly said recent developments demand “vigilance, courage, and collective sacrifice” to safeguard democratic institutions. The forum warned against executive interference in judicial processes, noting that issues referenced by the President are currently before courts, including the Supreme Court and Federal High Court. “When such statements are made in the context of active litigation, they raise legitimate concerns about coordinated efforts to influence outcomes, particularly judicially,” the forum stated.

Concerns over judicial independence have intensified ahead of a highly anticipated Supreme Court ruling scheduled for April 22, 2026, in a case widely viewed by observers as politically sensitive. According to remarks attributed to Von Batten, citing findings from the U.S. State Department’s 2023 and 2024 Human Rights Reports on Nigeria, the country’s judiciary, while constitutionally independent, continues to face challenges from corruption and political interference in practice. The development underscores growing political tension ahead of the Supreme Court ruling, with the ADC crisis emerging as a potential flashpoint in Nigeria’s evolving 2027 political landscape.

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