ADC Accuses Tinubu Government of Turning Social Intervention Into ‘Organised Racket’

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of mismanaging social intervention programmes meant to support vulnerable Nigerians, describing the alleged diversion of funds as an “organised racket.”

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, made the allegation in a statement on Monday following an Auditor-General of the Federation report which, according to the ADC, found that N33.75 billion in cash transfers reportedly made to 3.29 million households could not be verified.

The ADC said the finding raised serious concerns about the management and accountability of funds intended to cushion the impact of economic hardship on poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

“Let us call this what it is. Not mismanagement. Not an oversight. It is an organised racket,” Abdullahi said.

The party also cited previous controversies surrounding Nigeria’s social investment programmes, including allegations involving former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Betta Edu and former National Social Investment Programme Agency boss Halima Shehu.

The ADC alleged that N585 million was transferred to a private account linked to Edu at the beginning of the Tinubu administration, while another N44 billion was allegedly unaccounted for under Shehu. The allegations have previously been the subject of official investigations and should not be treated as established findings of criminal wrongdoing without due process.

The party further questioned the government’s decision to introduce the proposed $1 billion Renewed Hope Social Protection Programme despite what it described as unresolved accountability concerns surrounding earlier interventions.

Abdullahi said the government had not provided sufficient evidence that stronger safeguards had been introduced to prevent potential misuse of the new funds.

“Given the familiar history, we are in no doubt that even in the unlikely event that this latest intervention is ever implemented, it would end up like the others before it: another racket,” he said.

The ADC also blamed the growing reliance on government cash transfers on economic policies it said had worsened hardship, particularly the removal of the petrol subsidy and naira devaluation.

“This is a government that manufactured hardship with one hand and pocketed the relief with the other,” the party said.

The opposition party called for a comprehensive investigation into the social intervention scheme and demanded the publication of the complete beneficiary register, REMITA payment records and the identities of officials it alleged obstructed the Auditor-General’s work.