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His govt incompetent, says coalition party •President has done well -Ruling party
From Romanus Ugwu and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
African Democratic Congress (ADC) has knocked President Bola Tinubu, describing his administration as the most incompetent in the history of Nigeria.
The opposition coalition party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, yesterday, accused the administration of being obsessed with re-election to the detriment of governance.
But in a swift reaction, the All Progressives Congress (APC) described the attacks as a clear sign that the opposition parties are already jittery ahead of next year’s general elections.
Reacting last night, Abimbola Tooki, special adviser to the APC National Chairman on Media and Communications Strategy, explained that the ongoing execution of capital projects by the federal, state and local governments across the country, are proof and testimonies that the APC administration did not abandon governance for the 2027 general election as claimed by the ADC.
“If I may ask, what aspect of governance is not functioning?” Tooki queried, adding, “the ministries, the governors and the local government chairmen are working and performing optimally to deliver on the dividend of democracy
“The claim by the ADC is just a confirmation that they just want to remain relevant, otherwise what aspect of governance did this administration abandon.
“They are disturbed that it is no longer business as usual where unspent budgets are shared. This administration has plucked all the financial loopholes and drainpipes where they benefit from.
“This latest rant from the ADC is just an attempt to distract President Tinubu.fron the good work he is doing to reposition the country. They have nothing tangible to accuse this administration, especially with the number of governors and many other very important politicians joining the APC in droves.
“This is a clear sign that the.opposition parties are already jittery ahead of next year’s general election, especially the presidential poll,” he said.
Notwithstanding the robust defense, ADC has noted that the alleged incompetence of Tinubu’s administration is obvious through the flip-flops in its appointments and fiscal confusion, which has resulted in the government implementing multiple budgets simultaneously since 2024.
“This is the first time in Nigerian history that any government would be running three budgets at the same time while implementing none.
“Available reports indicate that while the 2024 budget was rolled over to 2025, as of the third quarter of 2025, only 17.7 percent of the capital budget had been released, while the overall implementation hovered at less than 30 percent, even as internal disbursements continued to lag.
“The government has argued that this absurdity is a deliberate strategy and transition cost to ensure that multi-year capital projects are completed. This is a blatant falsehood that cannot hold up to any scrutiny.
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“Even as we speak, 30 percent of the 2025 budget is billed to run from February 2026 to November 30, 2026, while the remaining 70 percent is simply rolled over to the 2026 budget, which is still being debated at the National Assembly three months into the year.
“This situation becomes even more alarming when we recall that President Tinubu promised last year that all capital components of the 2024 and 2025 budgets would be concluded by March 31, 2026, less than a month away, knowing quite well that this is not possible.”
The ADC added that “as of today, capital budget implementation for the Ministry of Power stands at a mere 3.6 percent, that of Communications Technology at 8.9 percent, while Education and Health stand at 23.5 percent and 32.5 percent, respectively. Certainly, no serious government would leave these sectors, which are crucial to national human capital development, largely unfunded while select government officials continue to live in obscene opulence in the midst of unprecedented poverty and human misery.
“It is noteworthy that the only ministry that has outperformed its budget up to 113.45 percent is the Ministry of Defence, largely due to emergency funding through the inscrutable service-wide vote. Yet, rather than abate, insecurity has continued to spread across the country. Recent reports indicate that in this month of Ramadan alone, up to 500 Nigerians may have been killed by terrorists in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Kebbi states.”
The party noted that while the government has continued to boast about historic revenue collection and unprecedented foreign reserve balances, it has allegedly borrowed more ‘aggressively’ than any other administration in Nigeria’s history.
The ADC contended that despite the heavy borrowing, the country’s budgets remain unimplemented, while contractors are owed. It stated that this is responsible for the suffering of Nigerians.
“This government has borrowed more aggressively than any other government in the country’s history. Yet, budgets remain unimplemented and contractors remain unpaid. This is the reason Nigerians are suffering like never before and asking the most important questions: what is this government doing with all the money that accrues from all the loans, all the revenues and all the increased taxes? Why are we worse off today than we were three years ago?
“Since this government came on board, analysts have identified at least seven appointments and several policy decisions that the government has announced and reversed either almost immediately or after public uproar. This is what happens when a government is distracted.
“The Tinubu government has proven that to them everything is about politics and power for its own sake. This is why Nigerians are being slaughtered at an industrial scale across the country while the government feasts.
“This is why, despite all the propaganda of having performed wonders, Nigeria still holds the ignoble position of having the highest number of people in the world living in extreme poverty, with at least six out of every 10 Nigerians unable to feed themselves.”
Presidency has also insisted that President Tinubu has demonstrated effective leadership through strategic policies and far-reaching reforms anchored on homegrown solutions.
In a January post on his X handle, @aonanuga1956, Onanuga said President Tinubu’s administration, since assuming office on May 29, 2023, has restructured the economy, eliminated wasteful petrol subsidies, and reduced overdependence on the oil sector, with renewed focus on gas development and increased attraction of both local and foreign investments.
He added that the administration has recorded improvements in foreign reserves, exchange-rate stability, and easing inflation, while also embarking on ambitious infrastructure projects such as the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway.
Mr. Onanuga emphasised that the tax reforms which commenced on January 1 would harmonise Nigeria’s fragmented tax system, improve revenue generation, and boost economic prosperity.
He argued that understanding Nigeria’s unique realities is critical to the country’s economic structuring, adding that the coming year will see greater development and a clearer manifestation of Nigeria’s economic fortunes.
