ADC faults APC over cash inducements, recycled 2023 promises

The African Democratic Congress has accused the All Progressives Congress of attempting to buy public support for President Bola Tinubu through cash and gift distributions at political gatherings, while faulting the ruling party for recycling the President’s unfulfilled 2023 campaign promises in its 2027–2031 manifesto.

The ADC Presidential Campaign Council, in separate statements, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent National Electoral Commission to investigate the alleged inducements, insisting that the APC’s new manifesto offered Nigerians little beyond repeated promises of economic prosperity, improved security, stable electricity and job creation.

In a statement signed by its Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the ADC-PCC alleged that APC operatives had increasingly resorted to distributing money and gifts at political events to create an impression of popular support for the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 general election.

The council cited reports of luxury vehicles allegedly presented to APC women leaders, cash and cooked food reportedly distributed by the President’s son through the City Boy Movement, as well as videos purportedly showing an APC women leader sharing money and fabrics at a political gathering.

It argued that the incidents raised questions about the ruling party’s commitment to a credible electoral process, particularly against the background of the economic difficulties confronting millions of Nigerians.

“The pattern is becoming impossible to ignore. From reports of luxury vehicles presented to APC women leaders, to cash and cooked food distributed by the President’s son through the City Boy Movement, and now videos circulating of an APC women leader handing out money and fabrics, the ruling party appears to be treating political support as something that can be bought,” the statement read.

The ADC-PCC also questioned what it described as different standards in the enforcement of laws governing the use of the naira, recalling that authorities had pursued ordinary Nigerians over alleged abuse of the national currency.

“The same authorities that have pursued ordinary Nigerians over alleged abuse of the Naira must explain why apparent cash distribution by political operatives at campaign events should be treated differently,” it stated.

The council specifically called on the EFCC and INEC to investigate the reported distributions and publicly disclose the steps being taken to establish whether electoral or currency laws had been breached.

It warned that political parties should not be allowed to use money, food or material gifts to induce voters or undermine the credibility of elections.

The opposition group further linked the alleged cash distributions to what it described as the Tinubu administration’s poor performance in office, citing rising poverty, insecurity and public debt.

According to the ADC-PCC, the government had failed to address the economic difficulties facing Nigerians and was now relying on financial inducements and political displays to regain public confidence.

“After three and a half years of economic hardship, rising insecurity and mounting public debt, the APC has little to show Nigerians.

“Its answer is to display cash and gifts at political events, as though a brief handout can erase the daily struggle families face or buy their votes,” it said.

The council also questioned the scale, terms and utilisation of government borrowing, arguing that the distribution of cash and gifts could not distract Nigerians from demanding accountability over public finances.

It maintained that no amount of money could compel Nigerians to support a government they believed had failed to improve their living conditions.

“No amount of money can compel Nigerians to endorse a government that has made life harder for them. The people’s votes are not for sale, and no manufactured crowd can substitute for their verdict at the ballot box,” the statement added.

Speaking on the APC manifesto, the ADC-PCC, in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, argued that the promises contained in the new manifesto were largely a repetition of assurances made by Tinubu during the 2023 presidential campaign.

It listed stable electricity, affordable food, a stronger naira, employment opportunities for youths and improved national security among the promises the President had yet to fulfil.

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The council said Nigerians had instead experienced worsening economic hardship, rising food prices, currency depreciation and persistent insecurity since the administration assumed office in May 2023.

“What President Bola Tinubu unveiled today is not a new manifesto. It is a repackaged catalogue of failed promises.

“In 2023, Nigerians were promised Renewed Hope. What they have experienced instead is renewed hunger, renewed hardship, renewed insecurity and renewed hopelessness,” the statement read.

The opposition campaign council also questioned the administration’s management of public finances, particularly its borrowing levels, following the removal of the petrol subsidy and the introduction of additional taxes.

It demanded explanations on how the funds generated from the government’s economic policies and accumulated loans had translated into infrastructure, development projects and improved living conditions for Nigerians.

“No amount of propaganda can erase the consequences of these policies or silence legitimate questions about public accountability,” the council stated.

It further argued that the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration had imposed disproportionate hardship on ordinary citizens without adequate social protection or corresponding relief.

According to the ADC-PCC, subsidy removal without sufficient cushioning, currency reforms without adequate safeguards and increased taxation without demonstrable accountability could not be presented as prosperity.

The council also questioned the administration’s borrowing strategy, arguing that Nigerians deserved an account of how borrowed funds had been utilised, particularly amid concerns about debt servicing and the country’s growing financial obligations.

In a further criticism of the government, the ADC-PCC referred to comments attributed to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, allegedly acknowledging that the administration’s economic reforms were not working as expected and had inflicted hardship on Nigerians.

It said the reported admission reinforced its position that the government’s economic policies had failed to deliver the relief promised to citizens.

The council maintained that the APC’s decision to unveil its manifesto amid political fanfare in Jigawa State could not compensate for what it described as the absence of measurable achievements.

“Nigerians need performance, not another political jamboree; they need accountability, not another glossy booklet,” it said.

The Campaign Council also recalled promises made during the 2023 election campaign on food security, employment, electricity, infrastructure, refinery operations and the proposed Akwa Ibom Deep Seaport, arguing that the gap between those assurances and the present realities remained significant.

It said the approaching 2027 general election would provide Nigerians with an opportunity to assess the Tinubu administration’s record on the economy, security, employment, corruption and citizens’ welfare.

The council urged Nigerians to reject the APC’s new manifesto and support the ADC, which it described as a credible alternative committed to restoring economic stability, national security, accountability and human dignity.

The APC’s new manifesto comes as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general election, with the performance of the Tinubu administration and the impact of its economic reforms expected to feature prominently in the campaigns.

Tinubu’s major economic decisions since assuming office in May 2023 include the removal of the petrol subsidy and reforms to the foreign exchange market.