Dino Melaye Mistakes Noise For Value – Presidency

…Ogra dismisses ADC convention remarks

The Presidency has criticised former senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, over remarks he made at the National Convention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing his comments as “loud, empty, and predictable.”

Senior Special Assistant to the President on New Media, O’tega Ogra, in a post on his X handle, said Melaye “confuses performance with policy” and “mistakes volume for value,” adding that he “shouts scandal but skips substance.”

Ogra said Melaye appeared unaware that between the announcement of election results and inauguration, there exists what he described as a constitutional bridge where briefings take place, documents move, and intelligence is shared between outgoing and incoming administrations.

“That is how serious transitions avoid chaos. That is how nations maintain stability during the handover phase,” he said.

He added, “But how would Dino Melaye know?”

The presidential aide also accused Melaye of repeating what he described as the same style of politics, centred on mockery rather than substance.

He recalled that during the buildup to the last general elections, Melaye reduced what he described as a serious national conversation to a “tasteless jingle” about the knees of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“He laughed, he jeered, he performed. Nigerians watched. Then Nigerians voted,” Ogra said.

He noted that the same candidate Melaye mocked is now President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, adding that President Bola Tinubu’s mandate has been tested “at the ballot, in the courts, and in the court of public judgment.”

Ogra, however, said Melaye’s political trajectory reflects a different pattern, which he described as “contest, lose, litigate, lose, rebrand with ADC, repeat.”

He further referenced the 2019 Kogi West senatorial election, stating that Melaye lost at the Appeal Court following allegations of electoral malpractice, over-voting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act, which led to a rerun election that he also lost.

According to him, Melaye also lost in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial primaries and later contested the governorship election, where he came third.

“Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is still President,” Ogra said.