The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has faulted the federal government over the approval of a $9 million lobbying contract in the United States.
The federal government had hired a US lobbying firm to help project its actions on the protection of Christians in Nigeria to American authorities.
The document showed that Aster Legal, a law firm based in Kaduna State, retained the services of DCI Group on behalf of Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA).
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the ADC, said the expenditure was “scandalous” and evidence of “misplaced priorities”.
“The African Democratic Congress condemns the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration for deploying scarce public resources to launder its battered image abroad instead of addressing the deepening security and economic crises at home, as reported in recent disclosures on the federal government’s $9 million lobbying contract in the United States,” the statement reads.
“No government in Africa has ever committed such an obscene sum to a short-term public relations exercise.
“While the ADC recognises the importance of representing Nigeria’s interests internationally, spending $9 million on image management at a time when millions of Nigerians cannot afford food, fuel, or basic healthcare is a clear case of misplaced priorities and moral blindness.”
The opposition party argued that the decision signalled a broader failure in the administration’s diplomatic approach.
“A government that has left key ambassadorial positions vacant now seeks to outsource diplomacy to lobbyists, further weakening Nigeria’s institutional credibility and reducing foreign policy to transactional propaganda,” the statement added.
The ADC also warned that presenting the lobbying effort as a campaign centred on Christian protection could inflame religious divisions.
“This risks deepening sectarian tensions and politicising security in a country already strained by religious and ethnic fault lines,” the party said.
“Security failures affect all Nigerians, regardless of faith, and cannot be addressed through selective messaging abroad instead of justice, accountability, and effective governance at home.”
The party urged the federal government to redirect public funds towards safeguarding citizens and rebuilding confidence in governance.
“Resources should be spent protecting lives, restoring trust in state institutions, and rebuilding a country in distress, not polishing the image of a government that has failed its most basic responsibility: the protection of lives and property,” the statement concluded.