Lukman says Tinubu rewarding governors for misusing public funds

Salihu Lukman, a member of the opposition alliance on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has taken aim at President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of encouraging financial mismanagement among state governors by turning a blind eye—and in some cases, allegedly rewarding their actions.

Lukman, who once served as the National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), made these remarks during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, a current affairs programme broadcast on Channels Television.

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He expressed frustration that despite mounting evidence that several governors fail to apply their substantial federal allocations towards the development of their states, President Tinubu continues to channel significant funding to these sub-national administrations without enforcing transparency or accountability.

For nearly two years, since Tinubu assumed office, Nigerians have been grappling with widespread economic strain.

From rising food prices and record inflation to growing hunger and unemployment, the cost of living has surged, sparking widespread discontent across the country.

Economic experts have attributed much of the financial pressure to two major policy decisions by the federal government: the elimination of fuel subsidies and the unification of Nigeria’s multiple exchange rate systems.

These moves, while aimed at long-term reform, have triggered short-term hardship for millions of citizens.

A recent report published by the United States Embassy in Nigeria further highlighted the scale of fiscal irresponsibility at the state level, noting how some governors have spent billions of naira on renovating government houses—despite the worsening economic situation brought about by the subsidy removal.

In the face of these concerns, President Tinubu, during a meeting with state governors on Thursday, urged them to prioritize poverty reduction and improve service delivery to make governance more impactful for citizens.

However, Lukman said Tinubu’s appeal, though commendable, lacked the force of enforcement.

“Yes, the president has said the right thing, but what is he doing to ensure that governors do what they need to do?” he asked.

“The president can do something, but what I see him doing is to reward them for doing the wrong things.”

He accused the 23 APC governors, along with their counterparts in opposition parties, of growing increasingly unaccountable due to their grip on party structures and lack of checks from within.

“Once we have a system where the structure of the party is subordinated to them, they will continue with this arrogance, and continue to be unaccountable and convert public resources as if it is their personal property,” Lukman added.

The former APC chieftain also criticized the current administration’s eagerness to attract governors from rival parties into the APC, noting that this political strategy is being pursued without demanding reforms or accountability from those defecting.

He referenced the recent crossovers of Governors Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State) and Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom State) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.

“For instance, when your recruitment policy in your party is blindly informed in a way that all you want is for people to come into your party without giving them the conditions that need to happen for them to be accountable to their people.As far as I can see, the objectives of many of them are to be where they are and not to deliver services,” he stated.

Reflecting on his time within the APC, Lukman lamented that the party’s leadership betrayed the confidence reposed in them by loyal members and the Nigerian people.

“In APC, we invested every trust in the leaders and at the end of the day, leaders betrayed that trust, and that is why APC is damaged today, whereby it is worse than the PDP,” he said.

He expressed optimism about the ADC’s emerging coalition, saying the party is committed to building a political structure focused on accountability, performance, and service delivery. He emphasized that leaders must be actively monitored and directed to ensure they fulfill the promises made during campaigns.

“The ADC as a coalition, I see it as a platform for struggle. We have to engage our leaders. The mistake many of us make is to imagine that leaders are rational and, left on their own, they will do the right thing.

“Our objectives of forming the coalition is to organise it in such a way that if we produce the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and governance, all those people will be accountable to the party and the party will properly direct them to deliver services based on the electoral promises as provided in the manifesto of the party,” he said.