The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the Bola Tinubu administration over reports that the Federal Government approved a $9 million contract for lobbying services in the United States.
It described the deal as scandalous, indefensible and a clear case of misplaced priorities.
The party said the expenditure amounted to an attempt to launder the government’s image abroad at a time when Nigerians are grappling with worsening insecurity, deepening poverty and a fragile economy.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC argued that no amount of paid lobbying could mask what the party described as the administration’s failure to protect lives and property.
According to the party, committing such a huge sum to short-term public relations efforts was morally indefensible when millions of Nigerians can no longer afford basic necessities such as food, fuel and healthcare.
“No government in Africa has ever committed such an obscene sum to image management at a time of national distress,” the statement said, adding that the decision reflected “moral blindness” and a disconnect from the suffering of ordinary citizens.
The ADC further described the lobbying contract as an admission of diplomatic failure, noting that several key ambassadorial positions remain vacant while the government now seeks to outsource diplomacy to foreign lobbyists.
“This approach weakens Nigeria’s institutional credibility and reduces foreign policy to transactional propaganda,” the party said.
The opposition party also faulted what it called the illusion that paid lobbying in Washington could erase the reality of widespread insecurity, mass killings and governance failures at home.
“No amount of image laundering can wash away the blood of thousands of Nigerians killed under this administration’s watch,” it stated, insisting that lobbying foreign leaders could not substitute for a clear and effective strategy to address the country’s security challenges.
The ADC expressed concern over reports that the lobbying effort was partly framed around “communicating Christian protection efforts,” warning that such messaging could deepen sectarian tensions in an already fragile polity.
It stressed that security failures affect all Nigerians, irrespective of faith, and should be addressed through justice, accountability and effective governance rather than selective narratives abroad.
The party concluded that Nigeria does not need propaganda but leadership, urging the Federal Government to channel scarce resources towards protecting lives, restoring public trust and rebuilding institutions instead of polishing the image of what it described as a failing administration.