The All Abuja Residents Association has said it has yet to adopt any political party or candidate for elective office ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The association, whose members described themselves as non-partisan, said at a press conference on Thursday that its primary concern was promoting good governance and accountability across the country.
The National President of the association, Igwekala Ugomaduefule, led representatives of various Nigerian communities in the Federal Capital Territory, including Goodnews Uwemedimo of the Akwa Ibom community, Musa Ahmadu and Ibrahim Isah of the Igala community, and Chuks Onuforo of the Imo community.
The association, however, criticised elected public officials for failing to address the worsening economic hardship despite the significant increase in government revenue following the removal of the fuel subsidy.
“If Nigerians are to know the amount of money being released, there are certain governors that are not supposed to be walking on the streets freely; they are supposed to be stoned to death,” Ugomaduefule said.
He also alleged that lawmakers received substantial sums annually for constituency projects, claiming that each senator received N2 billion, while each member of the House of Representatives received N1 billion.
As part of efforts to promote accountability ahead of the 2027 elections, the association announced plans to institute awards recognising distinguished Nigerians and public office holders for excellence and effective performance.
The awards will cover serving public officials, including governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and ministers across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Ugomaduefule said the initiative was intended to help Nigerians assess the performance of their elected representatives and make informed decisions about whether to retain or replace them at the polls.
“As election is fast approaching, the electorates or Nigerians need to know the score card of their representatives in the past three and half years, assess their performance, ascertain whether to return them or replace them based on their performance,” he said.
He questioned how state governors had utilised the additional revenue accruing to their states, particularly in critical sectors such as infrastructure, human development, security, agriculture, food security, education, healthcare and investment.
Among the governors listed for recognition are Alex Otti of Abia State, representing the South-East; Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, South-South; Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, South-West; Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State, North-Central; Babagana Zulum of Borno State, North-East; and Uba Sani of Kaduna State, North-West.
The senators listed include Enyinnaya Abaribe of Abia South, South-East; Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom North-West, South-South; Solomon Olamilekan of Ogun West, South-West; Aliyu Wadada of Nasarawa West, North-Central; Ali Ndume of Borno South, North-East; and Abubakar Yari of Zamfara West, North-West, among others.