Politics

2023: Islamic Group Attacks Dino Melaye Over Statement On Tinubu

Published

3 years ago

January 18, 2023

Editor

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has slammed the spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Management Committee (PCC), Dino Melaye, for saying Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 election, is not a Muslim.

Melaye had, in a tweet on Monday, challenged Tinubu to recite the Fatiha and three suras to demonstrate that he is a true Muslim.

He tweeted: “Fathia challenge: Dino defeated Tinubu in Quranic citation. Emilokan is not a Muslim but an emergency Muslim trying to learn the basics of Islam for political purposes. Vote him out.”

However, MURIC has now fired back at Melaye, insisting he had no moral right to question Tinubu’s level of faith.

MURIC’s reaction was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the director of the organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads in part: “We are astonished by Dino Melaye’s statement. To say the least, it is false, baseless and unfounded. It is a product of oral diarrhoea. It is also an intrusion into Muslim affairs by a non-Muslim who does not enter the mosque with us. It is, therefore, provocative, preposterous and ill-advised.

“Dino Melaye is not qualified to utter such a statement. The last time we checked, Dino was busy climbing trees. There is no record of him ever attending a madrasah (Quranic school) talk of being an Islamic scholar. Can he, therefore, tell us when Tinubu came to him to learn Surat al-Fatihah which he claimed Tinubu does not know? Is he Tinubu’s Alfa?

“Dino comes across as a meddlesome interloper and confusion who, faced by an eminently qualified and indubitably superior opposition candidate, clings at straws in a desperate search for foul means to demonize this primus inter pares presidential material called Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“He knows very well that Tinubu is the numero uno among all the presidential candidates for the 2023 elections. Dino is currently frustrated because he is aware that Tinubu is the doyen of Nigerian Muslims and their choice for the presidency despite the fact that his principal, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is also a Muslim.

“This is where Dino is going. His message was meant to be digested by Nigerian Muslims. That is why it is MURIC’s business to tackle him. He appears to be saying, ‘Drop Tinubu. He is not Muslim enough. Stop following him. My principal is a better Muslim’.

“But Nigerian Muslims are not being parochial. They did not pick Tinubu because he is a Muslim. They picked him because of his pedigree. They picked him because they knew that he is capable of managing the Nigerian economy in this turbulent world, just as he did in Lagos State when the going got rough.

“Melaye has failed, however. We know Tinubu is not a Shaykh or an Islamic scholar. Not every Muslim must be an Islamic scholar anyway. It is enough for us that he is a Muslim. We are also aware that only a tolerant Muslim can unite Nigeria in its present condition and Tinubu happens to be the round peg in the round hole.

“Why should that be a problem for Dino? Why is he taking panadol for our perceived headache? Dino should realize that he cannot weaken the resolve of Nigerian Muslims to support Tinubu.

“A similar smear campaign was engineered when Tinubu sat on a chair during Salat (prayer) inside a mosque. It is only ignoramuses that can criticize a Muslim for using a chair during Salat. It is a common practice even in Makkah and Madinah. It is Shariah-compliant.

“Muslims who have knee problems are allowed to sit on chairs during Salat. Even the director of MURIC sits on a chair during Salat, and he goes about with a foldable chair in his car boot. Dino’s tag of ‘emergency Muslim’ for Tinubu holds no water. It is a misnomer. Tinubu is not a convert. So what necessitated that label?

“Neither is Tinubu homo sapien incognito to the Muslims of Lagos, nay, the whole of Yorubaland. We can also confirm that Tinubu is the most popular and most loved Southern Muslim in the North. We assert clearly, categorically and unequivocally that Tinubu is a bona fide Muslim. Dino Melaye should shut up.

“Dino is wasting his time if he asks Muslims to vote against Tinubu in the next election. We are not surprised anyway. A man who spent 11 hours on tree top must have a flair either for time-wasting or for authoring the other version of the truth.”

Politics

VIDEO: Akpabio, Oshiomhole Clash Amid 2027 Intrigues

Published

52 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

What began as a routine legislative procedure on Wednesday spiralled into a high-voltage confrontation in the Senate, as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Adams Oshiomhole engaged in a dramatic face-off that exposed simmering political tensions tied to the 2027 power game.

The immediate trigger was procedural: Oshiomhole attempted to raise a point of order just as Akpabio moved to confirm the Votes and Proceedings of the previous sitting.

But the refusal of the Senate President to recognise him—despite repeated shouts of “point of order!”—quickly transformed the moment into a charged standoff.

Oshiomhole appeared determined to be heard, repeatedly interrupting proceedings in a manner that unsettled the chamber.

Attempts by Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno to restore calm failed, as the Edo North senator pressed on.

In a stern and calculated response, Akpabio asserted his authority, invoking the Senate Standing Orders and reading out provisions that underline his sweeping powers to control debate, interpret rules, and discipline erring lawmakers.

“The rules and laws governing the Senate Chamber… are clearly defined,” he said, before reeling off his constitutional and procedural powers.
He did not stop there.

“Let me be clear… many people may not have seen this order,” Akpabio added pointedly, in remarks that drew murmurs across the chamber.

As the exchange intensified, he issued a direct warning: any senator who becomes unruly would be asked to leave.

“This is the final warning,” he declared but beneath the surface, the clash carried deeper political undertones.

Multiple sources within the National Assembly suggest Oshiomhole’s insistence on raising a point of order may not have been merely procedural.

The former Edo State Governor is widely believed to be nursing ambitions for the Senate Presidency in 2027 and Wednesday’s confrontation is being interpreted in some quarters as an early signal of discontent with the current power structure.

At the heart of the tension is a controversial amendment to Senate rules, which critics say has effectively narrowed the 2027 Senate Presidency race to a select circle of insiders—years before the first vote is cast.
For figures like Oshiomhole, the development is said to be deeply unsettling.

Insiders claim the amendments are part of a broader political calculation to shape the leadership of the next National Assembly.

According to multiple accounts, the move is allegedly backed by powerful interests within the ruling establishment seeking to ensure that the Senate leadership remains firmly aligned with the executive arm.

Critics argue that the strategy is designed to shut out independent or unpredictable contenders, preempt internal rebellion, and ultimately shield the executive from robust legislative scrutiny.

Within this context, Wednesday’s drama is being viewed less as a spontaneous breakdown of order and more as a clash rooted in control, ambition, and the future leadership of the Senate.

To some observers, Akpabio’s firm handling of the situation was a necessary assertion of order.

To others, it signalled the use of institutional authority to silence dissent at a politically sensitive moment.

Either way, the explosive exchange has laid bare a Senate increasingly defined not just by lawmaking—but by high-stakes maneuvering ahead of 2027.

Watch the video here

Politics

JUST IN: Former APC National Youth Leader Dumps Party

Published

3 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Sadiq Abubakar, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Youth Leader has announced his decision to dump the ruling party.

Abubakar who disclosed this in an interview with Newsmen in Bauchi on Wednesday, explained that his decision was unconnected with the hardship faced by many Nigerian homes due to difficult policies and programmes by the APC.

According to him, the move was also driven by an objective of securing free and fair victory in future election primaries so as to continue to serve the people with strength and integrity.

He stated that his decision followed a series of consultations with family, friends, political associates and stakeholders saying this was after a careful reflection on recent developments within the party structure and internal arrangements.

“It is high time to adopt a party with a more clear vision and the compassion to help the common man.

“The APC processes are not working, the party is not just and fair. I’m leaving the party because there is no fairness in the electoral processes of the party as well as the consensus.

“And I know that they are not going to be fair in the forthcoming primaries but they will only use the power of incumbency.

“Also, what the party is doing to every family is becoming something else as it’s becoming too hard to put a three square meal on the table,” he said.

The Former APC National Youth Leader however, affirmed that he would soon reveal the new political party of his destination in no distant time.

Politics

Defection: Peter Obi Simply Looking For ‘Food Is Ready’ Party – Wike

Published

9 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe on former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his recent defection.

Speaking during a media parley on Wednesday, Wike said Obi is looking for a ‘food is ready’ political party.

The minister said, “Obi was in APGA, he couldn’t build APGA. He went to Labour, he ran away again from Labour. All he’s looking for is food is ready political party.”

Recall that Obi and Rabi’u Kwankwaso, former presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, on Sunday officially joined the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections.