The former senator questions the legislature’s response to emergency rule, tax and electoral legislation, budgets and security controversies.
Former senator Dino Melaye has accused Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly of failing to exercise sufficient independence from President Bola Tinubu’s administration, warning that weak legislative scrutiny could undermine the constitutional balance between the executive and parliament.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Melaye criticized the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. He argued that the National Assembly’s handling of important national issues had created the impression of an institution too willing to defer to the presidency.
In a paper titled “The 10th Assembly: The Pathway to Tinubu’s ‘Lifetime Presidency’,” Melaye used the expression “department of the Villa” to characterize what he considered excessive alignment with the executive. He did not allege in the supplied account that the Constitution’s presidential term limits had actually been removed; rather, his argument was that weakened checks and balances could allow power to become unduly concentrated.
Melaye said Nigeria’s constitutional system assigns different responsibilities to the president, the legislature and the judiciary. In his view, cooperation between branches of government should not prevent parliament from amending or rejecting executive proposals, scrutinising public spending and investigating the exercise of state power.
He acknowledged that the National Assembly had passed laws, held hearings and undertaken investigations, but questioned whether those activities demonstrated genuine institutional independence when politically sensitive matters arose.
Among the examples he cited were the March 2025 state of emergency in Rivers State, disputes surrounding the passage and publication of the 2025 tax laws, controversies over the Electoral Act 2026 and delays in budget implementation. He also raised questions about increasing Service-Wide Votes and the handling of constitutional amendments.
Melaye further criticised what he considered an inadequate legislative response to reports of 37 deaths in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State in September. He also questioned the constitutional implications of the president’s three-week trip abroad.
These are Melaye’s criticisms and allegations; the supplied report did not include responses from the National Assembly leadership or the presidency. The broader issue raised is whether parliamentary oversight is sufficiently independent, transparent and effective to hold government institutions accountable.
