The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of repackaging unfulfilled campaign promises made in 2023 in its newly released 2027 manifesto, describing the document as a fresh set of promises without accountability for previous commitments.
The opposition party said the manifesto reads like the programme of a newly formed political party seeking power for the first time, rather than that of a party that has governed Nigeria since 2015.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC questioned why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC were making fresh promises on issues they had pledged to address when they sought Nigerians’ mandate in 2023.
The party cited several examples of what it described as unfulfilled commitments, including the promise to extend health insurance coverage to 40 per cent of Nigerians within two years, create one million information and communications technology (ICT) jobs within 24 months and improve electricity generation.
According to the ADC, the health insurance target has now been shifted to 2031, while figures attributed to the government indicate that only about 15,000 ICT jobs and opportunity pathways have been achieved.
On electricity, the party recalled that the APC had described generation of 4,500 megawatts as a crisis in 2023, but its new manifesto reportedly acknowledged average generation of 4,022 megawatts.
It questioned how the ruling party could campaign on resolving a problem which, according to the opposition, had deteriorated under its watch.
The ADC also criticised Tinubu’s proposed programme for his first 100 days after a possible re-election, arguing that some of the measures outlined could be implemented under his existing presidential powers.
“Why is a government campaigning on promises it should already have fulfilled?” the party asked, insisting that Nigerians should not have to re-elect a president before he acts on commitments made during his first campaign.
The opposition party further accused the administration of failing to adequately address rising poverty, declining purchasing power and the increasing cost of basic necessities.
It specifically cited the reported rise in poverty to 63 per cent and argued that the N70,000 minimum wage had lost more than a quarter of its purchasing power.
According to Abdullahi, the APC should account for its performance in office rather than present another set of promises without explaining what happened to its 2023 commitments.
“A manifesto is a promise of what a party will do. A record is evidence of what it has done. After eleven years, the APC cannot keep presenting promises as a substitute for performance,” the statement said.
The ADC demanded that Tinubu publicly account for the major promises he made in 2023, specifying those fulfilled, those left unfulfilled and the reasons for the failures.
It argued that the 2027 general election should provide an opportunity for Nigerians to assess the administration’s performance since 2023 rather than allow the ruling party to present its next term as a fresh beginning.
The party stressed that Nigeria needed a change of government rather than what it described as another change of political slogans.
