The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused governors elected under the All Progressives Congress, APC, of allegedly using public funds meant for Nigerians to secretly finance President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re election campaign ahead of the 2027 polls.
The opposition party described the alleged action as shameless, cruel and criminal at a time millions of Nigerians are battling rising hunger, inflation, unemployment and worsening poverty across the country.
In a statement released on Tuesday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said reports claiming that more than ₦800 billion was allegedly raised through deductions from Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, allocations confirmed long standing fears that public money was being turned into political campaign funds.
The party said it was deeply disturbing that state governments receiving record levels of allocation from the federal purse were allegedly unable to improve the lives of ordinary citizens, yet could reportedly gather huge sums of money for political activities connected to the 2027 elections.
According to the ADC, FAAC allocations are meant to improve the welfare of Nigerians through development projects, payment of salaries, healthcare services, education, infrastructure, security and other essential public needs, not to fund the political ambition of any individual.
The party accused those involved of putting politics ahead of the suffering of citizens, insisting that diverting public resources while many Nigerians struggle to feed themselves amounted to wickedness on a massive scale.
ADC further argued that despite increased allocations to states following the removal of fuel subsidy and the devaluation of the naira, living conditions across the country have continued to deteriorate.
The opposition party said roads across many states remain in terrible condition, hospitals are still poorly equipped, schools remain underfunded and workers continue to complain of low pay and unpaid salaries despite increased revenues flowing into government coffers.
According to the statement, states under the current APC administration are receiving more money than ever before in Nigeria’s history, yet citizens are becoming poorer, hungrier and more desperate daily.
The ADC called for an independent and transparent investigation into the allegations, including claims of deductions from FAAC allocations and reports of accounts allegedly linked to the operation.
The party said Nigerians deserve full disclosure on whether money belonging to states and local governments was diverted for partisan political activities ahead of the next general election.
ADC warned that if the allegations are confirmed, it would amount to a major abuse of public trust and a national scandal with serious consequences for the country’s democracy and accountability system.
The opposition party also accused the ruling APC of focusing more on political survival and election calculations than governance, while Nigerians continue to suffer from economic hardship, insecurity and rising cost of living.
The statement ended with a strong warning to the ruling party, saying no government should impoverish citizens in order to finance its own re election campaign, while insisting that Nigerians are watching closely and will not forget.
