Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, has criticised elder statesman Buba Galadima for linking him to comments surrounding the reported illness of Federal High Court judge, Justice Peter Lifu.
Melaye, in a post on his X account on Saturday, said he was surprised that Galadima mentioned his name during a discussion about the judge’s health, insisting that he had never made any statement on the matter.
He also took a swipe at Galadima, suggesting that old age was affecting his memory.
“I was extremely shocked to hear that Alhaji Buba Galadima mentioned that I made comments on Justice Lifu’s health. It is most unfortunate because I never made any comment on Justice Lifu’s health,” Melaye wrote.
“Old age must be catching up with Buba Galadima. Now I know you can’t cure old age, you can only manage it,” he added.
Galadima, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, had criticised members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over their reported reaction to Lifu’s illness during an interview on African Independent Television on Wednesday.
While discussing the party’s leadership dispute, Galadima referred to information that the ADC had obtained a certified true copy of the judgment delivered against it, before mentioning Melaye in connection with comments he had reportedly made.
He questioned why some ADC members appeared to welcome reports of the judge’s illness, arguing that his absence from the country could delay the party’s planned appeal.
Galadima claimed that the records of proceedings required for the appeal could not be signed by another judge while Lifu was away, potentially preventing the party from proceeding with its case.
The controversy follows Lifu’s judgment setting aside resolutions of the ADC’s 99th National Executive Committee meeting held on July 29, 2025, through which Senator David Mark and former Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, emerged as national officers.
The court also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising or dealing with the affected individuals as national officers of the party. The ADC has indicated its intention to challenge the ruling.
