The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused state governors across Nigeria of diverting local government allocations, impoverishing citizens through excessive taxation, and undermining democracy.
The party’s former national chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, yesterday made the allegations during the Leadership Summit of the ADC and the National Coalition Alliance (NCA) held in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
Nwosu declared that Nigeria was in “intensive care” due to corruption and tyranny, but assured that the ADC-led coalition would “rescue” the country in 2027 through a new leadership model anchored on selflessness, transparency, stewardship, and service.
In a fiery address, Nwosu accused governors of withholding federal allocations meant for grassroots development.
“Every month, each local government receives between ₦300 million and ₦600 million. Governors seize the money, hand chairmen just ₦5 million or ₦10 million, and pocket the rest. With 13 councils in Ebonyi alone, imagine the billions siphoned monthly. And after pocketing these funds, they still tax even barrow pushers. Terrible people. That must stop,” he charged.
He lamented that governors had turned power into an instrument of oppression, destroying the democracy that brought them into office.
“You were given the opportunity by God to be governor, yet you are using that power to destroy the same democracy. You don’t want young people to even aspire to be councillors unless they join cults. But a new leadership is emerging, rooted in selflessness and service,” he stressed.
Nwosu said he had resisted huge financial inducements to abandon the coalition’s struggle.
“If I wanted billions or positions in government, I could have collected. But I will not mortgage the future of Nigerians. Our movement is beyond politics because it is about pulling Nigeria from intensive care to a healthy and prosperous nation,” he declared.
He also condemned attempts to disrupt the summit by branding ADC members as “terrorists.”
“They called our members terrorists and tried to stop us from holding this event. If they try it again, we will mobilize enough men to chase them out of government houses. This tyranny cannot continue,” he warned.
The National Coordinator of the NCA, Dr. Sunday Andrew Opoke, urged Nigerians to vote out failed leaders in 2027, stressing that governance in the country had collapsed.
“Our education system has collapsed. No minister or commissioner of education has a child in public schools. Our health system is in ruins. Water, electricity, infrastructure—all gone. If we hired these leaders and they failed, it is time to fire them,” he said.
Opoke said the ADC/NCA coalition was offering the roadmap Nigeria lacked.
“Everywhere in the world, governance requires a roadmap. Without direction, speed is useless. ADC and NCA are bringing that roadmap to deliver a Nigeria that works like England, France, Japan, and Canada. Nigeria is in the dark, but this darkness will be removed,” he asserted.
He emphasized the need for urgent electoral reforms, insisting that “without electoral reform, these acts of shame will continue.”
The Ebonyi State ADC chairman, Comrade Jennifer Adibe-Nwafor, described the harassment and arrest of party members before the event as an insult to democracy.
“This is a governor who claimed to have given all parties a level playing field, yet our members were harassed and arrested by civilians, not even police. Citizens have a constitutional right to belong to any political party of their choice. Thankfully, the police listened to us, released everyone, and returned all seized property,” she said.
She reaffirmed that the ADC had functional structures across all 13 LGAs and 171 wards of Ebonyi State, vowing to contest strongly in 2027.
The ADC National Financial Secretary, Hon. Muhammad Akibu Dahaltu, said intimidation had become a trademark of APC-led governments but noted that Nigerians had lost faith in them.
“This disruption is no surprise. From Kebbi to Kaduna, APC has always used touts and security forces to frustrate us. But Nigerians are tired after Buhari’s eight years and the current administration’s failures. Who in his right senses will vote APC again in 2027?” he asked.
Dahaltu praised the coalition spirit in ADC, saying no single party could unseat the ruling APC alone.
“Only coalition can deliver Nigeria. That is why we thank God for the sacrifices of Chief Ralph Nwosu and other leaders who handed power to the new team under Distinguished Senator David Mark. Nigerians are ready, and ADC will lead the country in 2027,” he declared.
Other speakers, including the Ebonyi State NCA Coordinator, Pastor Kenneth Oziomaeze, pledged to work tirelessly to ensure that the ADC/NCA coalition reclaims power at both federal and state levels.
The summit, which drew delegates from across the country, ended with a resounding pledge to challenge APC dominance in 2027 and restore Nigeria from what party leaders described as “intensive care to full recovery.”
