Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, has raised alarm over the worsening hunger crisis in Nigeria, saying the country is in a dangerous state under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme on Friday, Melaye said Nigerians are now scavenging dumps for food due to extreme poverty and hunger.
“We are in a precarious situation in this country, like we have never been. It has never been this disastrous, it has never been this terrible,” he said.
“The hunger in this country is chartered; people are dying of malnutrition in the rural communities of this country. People are beginning to visit garbage centres to look for crumbs and food.”
He added, “Take a trip to your village and just announce that you want to share just bags of rice. If you are careful, there will be casualties as a result of the struggle just to get one tin or two tins of rice. That’s the situation we are in this country.”
Melaye, who recently left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), also took aim at his former party, accusing it of losing its opposition voice and becoming a tool of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“PDP has been purchased by APC. PDP is a parastatal of the APC. PDP is a department of the APC. In fact, they take dates for NEC meetings and dates for when to have NWC from the [Presidential] Villa,” he alleged.
He questioned the actions of PDP governors, saying they no longer behave like an opposition.
“Just look at the number of governors in the PDP today. Are these governors acting like opposition governors? Are they playing opposition roles as governors? Those who are remaining in the PDP are holding fort for the APC.”
Melaye defended his decision to dump the PDP, saying the party has failed to play its role.
“With due respect to my uncle, Babangida Aliyu. You heard him two days ago; he said if we can tolerate Buhari for eight years, then we should tolerate Tinubu for another four years.
“Is that the voice of an opposition person? So, what I’m telling you, in essence, is we live in precarious times.”
Though he declined to comment on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s possible run in 2027, Melaye said he believes the ADC will present a strong presidential candidate.
“Those of us in the ADC need to create a comfortable, stable platform. And I believe that platform will produce a candidate that will unseat President Ahmed Bola Tinubu in 2027,” he said.
“But I have made it a point of duty that I will not be talking about a presidential candidate or aspirant or preference for anybody until we get the party completely stabilised and organise a transparent convention that will produce a presidential candidate of the ADC who, by the grace of God, will kick.”
