In a recent interview, former Senator Dino Melaye declared that he would beat President Bola Tinubu flat in a free and fair election, while clarifying that his focus remains on supporting any candidate that emerges from a coalition platform.

Speaking on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, Melaye described the President as the most unpopular politician in Nigeria and claimed that anyone interested in the presidency under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) would perform significantly better than the incumbent.

“My brother, anybody among those interested in presidency in ADC would do one million times better than Tinubu. They can never be a worse president than Tinubu,” he said.
He expressed confidence that the President could be defeated under a credible electoral process, noting that he could unseat him if he chose to run.

“Me, Dino Melaye. Let’s go on a free and fair election,” he stated.

Melaye went further to emphasise his confidence in his electoral strength, saying, “I will beat him flat… in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

He, however, clarified that his immediate priority is not necessarily his own ambition but the broader goal of unseating the current administration.

“My own for now is that we must send Tinubu away. Whoever emerges from consensus or from a primary, I will support,” he said.

He also alleged that the President may resist a transparent electoral process.

“Let him allow a free and fair contest. And if he doesn’t allow it, we will make him conduct our election. Because he doesn’t want election. He wants to be Kabiyesi. He wants to be Igwe,” he added.

On coalition dynamics, Melaye dismissed discussions around joint tickets, reiterating that the focus remains on national interest.

“I am not interested in any joint ticket or non-joint ticket… we are only interested in rescuing this country,” he said.

Melaye also raised concerns about governance, referencing alleged influence by non-elected individuals, particularly the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu.

“My son will not interfere with governance. My son will not summon DGs of parastatals and agencies of government and ministers,” he said.

He further criticised what he described as the growing visibility and influence of Seyi Tinubu in public affairs, citing activities linked to the City Boy Movement and remarks by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka.

“Even our respected Wole Soyinka complained about him. You have seen the City Boy Movement and what they are doing,” he said, questioning the role of non-elected actors in governance.

Melaye maintained that opposition figures were already working strategically ahead of future elections, stressing unity as key to achieving their objective.

Governor Hyacinth Alia has confirmed that eight of the recently rescued passengers from a Benue Links bus were candidates for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The victims were part of a group of 18 passengers abducted on Wednesday, April 15, while traveling to Otukpo to sit for their exams.

Their rescue followed a joint operation by the Benue State Police Command and other security agencies, which also led to the arrest of seven suspects.

They regained their freedom early Sunday after spending about three days in captivity.

The rescued individuals, among them three girls, were brought to the Benue State Government House in Makurdi by the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ifeanyi Emenari, accompanied by their parents and guardians, for official reception by Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The victims appeared visibly exhausted following their ordeal. Meanwhile, documentation processes are ongoing ahead of their formal reception by the governor.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a formal apology for the delay in releasing the second batch of UTME results as scheduled, assuring candidates the results will be made public later on Sunday.

The board had earlier indicated that results for candidates who sat the exam on Friday, April 17, 2026, would be released on Saturday. However, the delay triggered frustration among candidates awaiting their scores.

In a statement issued on Sunday, JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, explained that the setback was due to the temporary absence of the board’s chief executive, who was engaged in official duties.

He assured candidates that the situation had been resolved and that the results would be released before the end of the day.

The board also apologised to candidates who stayed up late expecting the release, thanking them for their patience and understanding.

“Good morning everyone, We sincerely apologize for the delay in releasing the results for Friday, 17th April, which is the second batch in the series as earlier promised.

“Our Chief Executive was unavailable due to an important engagement but would be in the office today, and we assure you that the results will be released later today surely before nightfall.

“We also extend our heartfelt apologies to those who stayed up waiting for the release. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Fabian Benjamin, Ph.D., OrgExpert PCA, JAMB,” the statement read.

The delayed batch follows the earlier release of results for candidates who wrote the examination on Thursday, April 16, with over 600,000 results already made available.

Candidates are expected to check their results via SMS by sending “UTMERESULT” to 55019 or 66019 using the phone number linked to their registration.

Earlier on Saturday, JAMB said it has recorded minimal challenges in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) across the country.

The Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, noted this in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, during an inspection visit to the University of Ibadan CBT centre as part of a routine monitoring visit to Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in Oyo State.

He said the exercise was largely successful, pointing out that only a few centres experienced challenges of power supply and minor technical faults associated with the systems.

Oloyede noted that “Out of about 980 centres nationwide, we have recorded issues in only about 16 centres.”

Against the backdrop of serious lapses in the past, the registrar added that the board had conducted examinations for over 1.7 million candidates successfully in 3 days.

He commended the smooth conduct of the examination process, describing it as “superb,” and praised the collaboration of stakeholders, including vice-chancellors, rectors, and other academic officials serving as proctors.