Former senator Dino Melaye has given the National Assembly 14 days to answer a list of complaints, or face a mass protest. Melaye, who serves as Deputy Director-General for Contact and Mobilisation of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign, made the warning at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. AIT aired the video of the event. He said he would organise an “Occupy National Assembly” protest if lawmakers fail to act.
Melaye framed the issue as a question of ownership. “Democracy is not owned by those in government. It is owned by the people,” he said. He then told members of the National Assembly that Nigeria is greater than any sitting lawmaker. Moreover, he warned that “what happened in Tunisia can happen in Nigeria.” If lawmakers fail to respond, he said, “we will march on the National Assembly and it will be very loud.”
Melaye did not explain the Tunisia reference in the portion Sojworldnews reviewed. For context, Tunisian President Kais Saied suspended that country’s parliament in 2021 after street protests, then dissolved it the next year. Therefore, observers read the remark as a warning about what can happen when citizens lose faith in their legislature.
The press conference carried a pointed title: “The 10th Assembly: The Pathway to Tinubu’s ‘Lifetime Presidency’.” Melaye accused the Assembly’s leaders, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, of failing to check the president’s powers. He described the Assembly as a “department of the Villa.” In addition, he drew a line between two ideas. “Cooperation is different from submission,” he said.
He then listed a series of concerns. First, he questioned whether the Assembly’s procedure on the Electoral Act accurately reflected lawmakers’ will. Second, he said Section 138 raises questions about post-election remedies. Third, he pointed to budget implementation and asked whether parliament is willing to enforce the laws it appropriates. Furthermore, he raised concerns over rising Service-Wide Votes and the IMF’s findings, and asked whether lawmakers fully use their power of the purse.
Melaye also criticised the Assembly’s record on other flashpoints. He cited President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025. He also questioned the handling of discrepancies between the tax laws that lawmakers passed and the versions later gazetted. Moreover, he asked why a constitutional amendment passed all three readings in both chambers on the same day, which he said raised doubts about the depth of scrutiny.
On tenure, Melaye warned that the proposed six-year single term for presidents and governors puts presidential tenure itself on the horizon of constitutional change. He said any amendment must include clear safeguards so that an incumbent cannot benefit from an extension. In addition, he said the debate over state police shows the need for a clear process for amending the constitution.
He also asked the Assembly to explain how it reads Section 145 of the Constitution, which deals with the president’s absence. The Presidency says Tinubu continued to direct national affairs remotely while away. Melaye accepted that position but argued that technology should not override the Constitution.
Melaye did acknowledge that the Assembly has passed laws, held investigations and conducted public hearings. However, he insisted that these actions do not erase the lapses he listed. The 14-day deadline would expire around October 28. Meanwhile, neither the Senate nor the House has responded in the reports reviewed by Sojworldnews.
The warning comes as the ADC and other opposition figures sharpen their attacks on the administration ahead of the next election cycle. Consequently, many Nigerians will watch to see whether the Assembly answers the demands, or whether Abuja faces a loud protest when the deadline ends. Source: AIT video of the press conference.
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