Melaye made the remark on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television, where he described Obi as an admirable figure but argued that he does not currently possess the capacity to unite the country.

“But let me say this: Peter Obi is a fantastic Nigerian. I have tremendous respect for him and I’ve said it before — he is a fantastic person, but this is not his time to be President,” Melaye said.

It would be recalled that after leaving the National Assembly, Melaye contested the Kogi State governorship election under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but was defeated by the incumbent governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo.

Meanwhile, the former lawmaker has also criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) over its resistance to real-time electronic transmission of election results, describing the stance as evidence of fear and insecurity despite the party’s political dominance.

In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, Melaye said it was contradictory for a party controlling 31 states to oppose reforms aimed at improving transparency in elections.

“APC is doing e-registration for members, but doesn’t want e-transmission of results. With 31 governors, dem still dey fear,” he wrote.

Melaye further accused the ruling party of undermining electoral reforms contained in the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, warning that internal divisions within the party could eventually lead to its collapse.

“Implosion is imminent, and explosion is guaranteed. End of the road. Votes must count,” he declared.

His remarks come amid protests in Abuja and growing reactions across social media following the Senate’s decision to remove the clause mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results from the amended Electoral Act.

Civil society organisations, opposition figures, youth groups, and pro-democracy advocates have argued that scrapping the provision could weaken electoral transparency and increase the risk of post-election manipulation.