The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Tinubu administration of manipulating official infrastructure data in a desperate attempt to deflect growing criticism over allegations of nepotism and regional bias.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that the Tinubu government’s infrastructure report not only reinforced existing suspicions about exclusionary governance but also exposed the administration’s alarming comfort with misleading the public through FakeNews.
The full statement read:
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has observed with keen interest the Federal Government’s recent flurry of media engagements, particularly the hurried release of a glossy infrastructure document tagged “Infrastructure Equity for Every Region. Progress for Every Nigerian. The Renewed Hope Agenda in Action.”
Ordinarily, we would have commended such an effort at transparency. However, the context and content of the report suggest that this was less a gesture of accountability and more a panicked propaganda attempt at damage control in the face of mounting criticism about the government’s nepotistic and exclusionary tendencies.
It should be noted that this is the first time any government in Nigeria would be so hard-pressed to prove that it has actually given all parts of the country a sense of belonging. But the reason is clear: this is the most divisive government we have ever had, where government business is run like an exclusive membership club.
Unfortunately for the administration, in a desperate attempt to defend its records, it ended up convicting itself with obviously manipulated evidence.
For avoidance of doubt, the so-called infrastructure progress report, rather than exonerate the government, actually showcases the cronyism, sloppiness, and lack of equitable distribution of projects and spending that this APC government has become widely renowned for.
Under the section purportedly dedicated to North-Western Nigeria, the government lists 12 projects, but upon closer scrutiny, at least four of those projects do not belong there.
Take the Damaturu–Maiduguri road, for instance. This 110km road was listed under the North-West. Yet, Damaturu is the capital of Yobe State, and Maiduguri is the capital of Borno State — both in the North-East. Similarly, the Bama and Dikwa roads, also in Borno State, were mysteriously reclassified as North-Western projects.
Then there is the Lokoja–Okene dualisation project. Lokoja is the capital of Kogi State, which, along with Okene, falls squarely within the North-Central zone. Yet, the government’s report would have us believe it is a North-Western initiative. The Benue–9th Mile road is another case in point. This was mislabeled under the North-West, despite Benue being in the North-Central.
To make matters worse, some projects were listed twice — once under their actual regions and again under the North-West. We know that budgets have allegedly been padded by this administration, but this is the first time we have seen infographics padded with such brazen creativity.
What is even more telling is that several of the projects the Tinubu government is celebrating were initiated under the Buhari administration, only to be repackaged and presented as fresh achievements.
