Former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye has argued that the Nigerian presidency is vested with excessive powers, saying the president has significant influence over the appointment of key officials across the country’s political, security and financial institutions.
Melaye made the statement while discussing Nigeria’s political structure and the concentration of authority in the office of the president.
According to the former senator, the Nigerian president has considerable influence over the selection of individuals who occupy some of the country’s most important public offices.
“The President of Nigeria is the most powerful president in the world and that must change,” Dino said.
He specifically referenced the appointments involving the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“He decides who’ll be the INEC Chairman, who’ll be the IG of police, who’ll be chief of army staff and also central bank Governor,” he said.
Melaye argued that the concentration of appointment powers in the presidency creates a political structure that should be reconsidered.
“There’s no president in the world with such power,” he added.
His remarks have reopened discussion about the distribution of executive authority in Nigeria and whether the country’s political system provides sufficient institutional checks on presidential powers.
Under Nigeria’s constitutional framework, the president has important appointment powers, although the procedures differ depending on the office involved. For example, the appointment of the chairman and members of the Independent National Electoral Commission is subject to confirmation by the Senate, while the appointment of the Inspector-General of Police follows a process involving the Police Council. The precise legal powers attached to each position therefore differ from one institution to another.
The issue of presidential appointments has remained an important part of debates over Nigeria’s democratic institutions, particularly concerning the independence of bodies responsible for elections, security and monetary policy.
INEC plays a central role in organising and conducting Nigeria’s elections, making the process through which its leadership is selected a recurring subject of public discussion.
Similarly, the Inspector-General of Police heads the Nigeria Police Force, while the Chief of Army Staff is the professional head of the Nigerian Army. The Governor of the Central Bank is responsible for leading Nigeria’s monetary authority.
Melaye’s comments therefore touch on several institutions with significant responsibilities within the Nigerian state.
His call for change is part of a broader debate among political figures, constitutional reform advocates and civil society groups about how authority should be distributed between the executive, legislature, independent institutions and other arms of government.
While Melaye described the Nigerian president as the “most powerful president in the world,” that comparison is his characterization rather than an established international ranking.
His comments are also likely to fuel renewed conversations about constitutional reform, institutional independence and the balance of power within Nigeria’s federal system.
For Melaye, the issue is ultimately about reducing what he sees as an excessive concentration of authority in the presidency.
The former senator has previously spoken extensively about political reform and governance in Nigeria, and his latest remarks add his voice to ongoing calls for changes to the country’s political and constitutional arrangements.
