ADC accuses federal government of forging national assembly law
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, has said the opposition party’s objective is to remove President Bola Tinubu from office, describing it as a necessary step to rescue Nigeria from what he called an unprecedented governance crisis.
Abdullahi said there was no scenario in which Nigeria could be salvaged with Tinubu remaining in power, insisting that the administration had fundamentally failed.
According to him, Nigeria has been “hijacked”, accusing the current leadership of operating with what he described as a mindset of banditry. He argued that the language and actions of the government reflected a culture of grabbing power and resources without regard for due process or national interest.
The former minister also raised concerns over alleged legislative manipulation, particularly surrounding recent tax laws, which he described as unprecedented in Nigeria’s democratic history.
Abdullahi accused the Federal Government of forging a law that had already been duly passed by the National Assembly, questioning the implications of such an act for the rule of law and democratic governance.
He further criticised the reported payment of $9 million to foreign lobbyists in the United States, allegedly to improve Nigeria’s image before American political leaders, including President Donald Trump. Abdullahi said documents he reviewed showed no transparency or clear legal framework governing the contract.
While noting that lobbying itself was not inherently wrong, he questioned how the contract was awarded, how the funds were paid, the budget line from which the money was sourced, and the process through which the funds were transferred out of Nigeria.
He argued that the expenditure reflected misplaced priorities, saying that investing the same amount in internal security would have produced tangible results and reduced the need to convince foreign governments that Nigeria is safe.
Abdullahi accused the government of focusing more on international image management than on addressing the daily insecurity faced by Nigerians, alleging that the administration appeared indifferent to ongoing killings and violence across the country.
The ADC spokesperson also expressed concern over a recently signed medical memorandum of understanding between Nigeria and the United States. He claimed the agreement, reportedly signed around December 19, grants the US significant control over how funds are spent, including deciding which regions benefit, despite Nigeria contributing more financially.
He said the details of the agreement had not been made public, describing its terms as shocking and raising questions about Nigeria’s sovereignty, transparency, and accountability.