Former Kogi West Senator and lawyer, Dino Melaye, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the recent security crisis in Oyo State, questioning the composition of the presidential delegation sent to the state following the abduction of dozens of pupils and teachers. Melaye made the remarks in a video from 2:24 posted on his official Instagram page on Monday, June 1, 2026.
Tinubu had dispatched a high-powered delegation to Ogbomoso, the delegation was led by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and included National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, Minister of Defence Christopher Musa and Others.
Reacting to the development, Melaye questioned the authority and relevance of the officials chosen to represent the President during the visit.
“Those sent to Oyo states by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have neither political mandates or constitutional mandates. They carry no mandate at all. They have no constitutional, or I mean political powers. They are nobody. I mean how do you send that class of people for, I mean to represent you where lives have been lost,” he said.
The former lawmaker argued that more senior constitutional officeholders, including the Vice President and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, should have been part of the federal government’s response.
“The Vice President of the Republic of Nigeria is there. The Secretary to Government of the Federation is there. You cannot send a high power delegation and these people went on a show and took an helicopter to Ibadan,” Melaye stated.
He further criticised the manner in which the delegation travelled to and from the state, describing it as insensitive to the gravity of the situation. “They’re not even driving to the city of Ibadan. They didn’t even drive to the state. They took a helicopter to the venue of, to the milieu of the incident and eventually left also with a helicopter. What a non-challenged way of treating the people. What a disregard for the lives of Nigeria,” he said.
Melaye also referenced the constitutional responsibility of government to protect citizens, arguing that the administration had fallen short in both security and welfare. “The most important and potent part of the Constitutional Republic of Nigeria is section 42b that says that the security of lives and property is the primary prerogative of government. Tinubu have failed both in welfare and the security of lives and property,” he said.
The former senator further faulted the Presidency for allegedly failing to adequately involve the Oyo State Government in its intervention efforts. “So I want to remind President Tinubu that there’s something called protocol curtsy and that is why whoever is sending ought to have carried the governor of your state together,” he added.
Melaye concluded by calling for greater cooperation among opposition parties, arguing that a united political front was necessary ahead of the 2027 general election.
“This now is giving a reason why all opposition parties irrespective of political parties must come together to rescue this country from the political cankerworms and economic scavengers in the Tinubu administration,” he said….Read_More…