ADC has slammed President Tinubu over $9m US Lobbying Deal, says his government is prioritising image over Nigerians’ hardship.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration over reports that the Federal Government approved a $9 million lobbying contract in the United States, accusing it of placing foreign image management above Nigeria’s worsening security and economic challenges.
In a statement shared on Wednesday via X, the party’s spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the spending as “obscene” and a reflection of “misplaced priorities and moral blindness,” especially at a time when millions of Nigerians are battling high food prices, soaring fuel costs and poor access to basic healthcare.
While acknowledging the importance of international engagement, the ADC argued that committing such a huge sum to what it called a short-term public relations exercise was unjustifiable.
“No government in Africa has ever committed such an obscene sum to a short-term public relations exercise,” the party stated, adding that the move showed how detached the government had become from the everyday struggles of Nigerians.
The ADC also described the reported lobbying deal as an admission of diplomatic failure, pointing out that several key Nigerian ambassadorial positions abroad remain vacant. According to the party, turning to foreign lobbyists instead of strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic corps undermines institutional credibility and reduces foreign policy to “transactional propaganda.”
The opposition party urged the Tinubu administration to redirect public funds towards tackling insecurity, economic hardship and strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic institutions, rather than pursuing what it called an image-repair campaign overseas.