Chisom Umejiaku
Former Kogi West senator and one-time PDP governorship candidate, Dino Melaye, has officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), barely one hour after announcing his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Melaye, known for his flamboyant political style, made the announcement via a video posted on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, July 31, 2025, where he was seen receiving his ADC membership card from the party’s Kogi State Chairman, Hon. Kingsley Temitope Ogga alongside other party executives.
The post was captioned simply: “SDM fully ADC,” confirming earlier speculations about his next political move.
According to Hon. Ogga, Melaye had already started making contributions to the ADC even before formally receiving his membership card. He also described the former senator’s entry into the party as “timely and strategic” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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Melaye’s defection aligns with recent internal changes within the ADC. Earlier in July 2025, the party’s national executives stepped aside to pave the way for a unified opposition front led by former Senate President David Mark, aimed at attracting influential politicians and repositioning the party as a viable alternative.
Political observers say Melaye’s defection could boost ADC’s growing profile as it attempts to challenge the dominance of both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a crisis-ridden PDP.
As at the time of filing this report, the PDP had yet to issue an official response to Melaye’s exit or his alignment with the ADC.