‘Shameless Repackaging’ – ADC Faults Tinubu’s 2027 Manifesto

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) over their newly unveiled 2027 manifesto.

This was just as the opposition party accused the APC of presenting Nigerians with recycled promises instead of accounting for its performance after nearly 12 years in power at the federal level.

In a statement released on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the manifesto reads like a document from a political party seeking power for the first time rather than one that has governed Nigeria since 2015.

It also faulted the administration over the worsening cost-of-living crisis, arguing that the government was making fresh promises on issues it had failed to address despite being in power.

“The fundamental question Nigerians must ask is simple: Why is a government campaigning on promises it should already have fulfilled?” the ADC asked.

It recalled that Tinubu promised in 2023 to provide health insurance coverage for 40 per cent of Nigerians within two years, but said the target had now been shifted to 2031, with barely one in 10 Nigerians covered.

The party also cited the administration’s promise to create one million information and communications technology (ICT) jobs within 24 months, claiming that government figures showed only about 15,000 jobs and opportunity pathways had been achieved.

On electricity, the ADC said the APC had described an average generation of 4,500 megawatts as a crisis in 2023, but its latest manifesto acknowledged that average generation had fallen to 4,022 megawatts.

“How does a government campaign to solve a crisis it has made remarkably worse?” the party queried.

The ADC further questioned Tinubu’s promise to introduce a programme within his first 100 days after re-election, arguing that several of the proposed measures could already be implemented under his existing presidential powers.

The party insisted that Nigerians should not have to re-elect the president to compel him to fulfil promises made during his first term.

It also accused the administration of worsening poverty and reducing the purchasing power of workers, claiming that poverty had risen to 63 per cent under Tinubu’s government and that the N70,000 minimum wage had lost more than a quarter of its purchasing power.

“Tinubu wants Nigerians to forget that poverty has risen to 63 per cent under his watch; that the N70,000 minimum wage has lost more than a quarter of its purchasing power; and that millions of families can no longer afford the basic necessities of life,” the statement added.

The opposition party demanded that Tinubu account for his major campaign promises in 2023 before seeking another mandate in 2027.

It urged the president to publicly explain what he had promised, what he had delivered, what remained unfulfilled and the reasons for the failures.

“The President must understand that 2027 is first a referendum on his abysmal record since 2023, not an opportunity to pretend that his presidency is just about to begin,” the ADC said.

It added: “Nigeria needs a change of government, not another change of slogans.”

Politics Nigeria reports that the criticism comes after the presidency on Tuesday unveiled the administration’s 2027–2031 electoral roadmap, titled From Reforms to Prosperity Agenda.