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By Myke Agunwa
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led 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 Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that 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 with fakeNews.
ADC said it has observed 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.”
The coalition party stressed that 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.
According to ADC, “this is the first time that 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 the principle of “it is our turn,” has become a mantra of marginalisation and 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”.
ADC went further to claim that the so-called infrastructure progress report, rather than exonerate the government, actually showcases the cronyism, the sloppiness and the lack of equitable distribution of projects and spending for which this APC government has become widely renown.
“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.
“The Damaturu–Maiduguri road, for instance. This was supposedly a 110km road that was listed under the North-West. Yet, Damaturu is the capital of Yobe State, and Maiduguri is the capital of Borno State, and Borno State is 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 that we have seen infographics being padded with such brazen creativity,” the statement further read.
ADC observed that several of the projects that the Tinubu government is celebrating were initiated under the Buhari administration, only to be repackaged and presented as fresh achievements of the Tinubu government.
While mocking efforts to distort facts the party said that “the Presidential Media Team’s colourful, propaganda-filled infographics cannot mask the darker truths behind these projects. The processes surrounding them are opaque. Contracts are being awarded without adherence to the Procurement Act, and many have been handed over to known cronies, political financiers, and economic oligarchs.
“Even the public’s basic questions are met with silence. What, for example, is the cost of the Badagry–Sokoto Highway? Why are we not told how much is, and has been, spent, with whom the contracts are being signed, or what procurement procedures were followed? Why are some projects lavishly funded while others, particularly those in opposition strongholds, are stalled indefinitely? Is this what democracy under the APC has become?”
The party challenged the government to provide answers to these questions and release full reports on award and implementation of these projects if it must be taken seriously.
It continued, “When the government was accused of nepotism in political appointments, it responded with a generic list of names from across the country, without portfolios or details, a move designed to obscure the truth rather than reveal it. Meanwhile, key appointments remain dominated by individuals from a certain political circle, a certain state, and ultimately, a certain region.
“This selective disclosure strategy has failed to convince critics. It has also embarrassed respected leaders in the South-West, who had hoped for a government of national inclusion and competence”.
ADC advised the Tinubu administration to abandon the dishonest politics of propaganda saying, “No amount of spin can substitute for justice, geographically, politically, or economically. A government like this one, that cannot be equitable and inclusive, will always continue to be a government that is at war with its own legitimacy”.
The statement said that ADC remains committed to a Nigeria where no region, group, or individual feels left behind. It pledged that its government will ensure equitable distribution of projects and create a system where competence is not sacrificed on the altar of cronyism.