The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has faulted the Presidency’s recently published Infrastructure Equity Report, challenging the accuracy of its contents and accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of prioritizing propaganda over genuine accountability.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, argued that the document only deepened concerns about exclusionary governance while demonstrating the government’s “comfort with misleading the public.”
The controversy was sparked after Daily Trust reported on Saturday that Lagos had secured ₦3.9 trillion worth of projects in just two years, a figure that raised allegations of regional bias in favour of the Southwest. In response, the President’s Special Adviser on Public Communications and Orientation, Sunday Dare, dismissed the claims as sensational, stressing that projects were evenly spread nationwide. The Presidency subsequently released an “infrastructure equity” breakdown, claiming that the North had received more federal projects than the South.
However, the ADC countered that the report was merely “damage control” and a poorly executed attempt at deflection. The party highlighted what it called “misclassifications,” such as the Damaturu–Maiduguri, Bama and Dikwa roads, and the Lokoja–Okene dualisation project, which were wrongly attributed to the North-West instead of their correct regions in the North-East and North-Central. It also accused the government of duplicating entries, thereby “padding infographics” much like inflated budgets.
“The so-called infrastructure progress report, far from vindicating the government, exposes the cronyism, sloppiness, and inequitable distribution of resources for which this APC administration has become notorious,” the statement declared.
The ADC further asserted that many of the showcased projects were actually initiated under the Buhari administration and simply repackaged as fresh achievements. It accused the government of routinely breaching the Procurement Act, awarding contracts to cronies, allies, and “economic oligarchs.”
The party also raised questions of transparency, demanding disclosure of the costs and procurement processes for key projects such as the Badagry–Sokoto Highway. “Why are Nigerians not told how much has been spent, who the contracts were awarded to, or what procedures were followed?” it queried.
Beyond procurement, the ADC accused the administration of divisive governance, citing nepotism in appointments and deliberate neglect of opposition strongholds in project allocations. It called for the publication of full reports on project awards and implementation if the government wished to regain credibility.
“Nigeria needs fairness and inclusion more than ever. No amount of propaganda or glossy presentations can substitute for transparency and equity,” the statement read.
The ADC concluded by urging the Tinubu government to “abandon dishonest politics of propaganda,” warning that an administration that fails to embrace inclusivity “will constantly battle with questions of legitimacy.”
