ADC Accuses Tinubu Govt of Stealing from the poor

The African Democratic Congress has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of turning the Federal Government’s social intervention programmes into an alleged “racket,” following an Auditor-General’s finding that N33.75 billion in cash transfers to 3.29 million households could not be matched to verified beneficiaries.

The party demanded the immediate publication of the full beneficiary register and payment trail.

A Scathing Accusation

ValidViewNetwork gathered that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has launched a scathing attack on President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of turning the Federal Government’s social intervention programmes into a “racket” following a damning Auditor-General’s report.

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In a statement issued on Monday, September 7, 2026, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said:

“Let us call this what it is. Not mismanagement. Not an oversight. It is an organised racket, which this government has run under the guise of a social intervention programme. They are stealing from the poor and telling them to continue to endure hardship”.

The Auditor-General’s Findings

The controversy stems from the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2024 Annual Report, which found that N33.75 billion in cash transfers intended for 3.29 million vulnerable households could not be matched to verified beneficiaries.

The amount was part of a larger N78 billion social intervention fund.

A Pattern of Corruption

The ADC pointed to a troubling pattern of corruption in Nigeria’s social intervention programmes:

· N585 million reportedly wired to a private account under former Minister Betta Edu

· N44 billion missing from the National Social Investment Programme Agency under Halima Shehu

· N33.75 billion unaccounted for in the latest Auditor-General’s report

“At the time, the government made a show of suspending her. Now she is back in the President’s campaign council,” Abdullahi said, referring to Betta Edu.

A Government That Manufactured Hardship

The ADC argued that the government’s twin policies of fuel subsidy removal and currency devaluation had “exploded the population of Nigerians living in extreme poverty”.

The party accused the government of “manufacturing hardship with one hand and pocketing the relief with the other”.

“Fuel prices up. Transport costs up. Food prices are up. And the one programme meant to soften the blow turns out to be a black hole. Enough is enough,” Abdullahi said.

The Demand for Accountability

The ADC demanded the immediate publication of:

· The full beneficiary register

· The REMITA payment trail

· The names of every official involved in the scheme

A Lesson for Nigerian Youths

This scandal is a reminder that money meant for the poor often ends up in the pockets of the powerful.

The same politicians who claim to care about the vulnerable will never allow their own families to go hungry.

Their families are protected.

For young Nigerians, the lesson is clear: corruption is not just a crime, it is a betrayal of the most vulnerable. The same leaders who steal from the poor will never allow their own children to be victims of such injustice.

Demand accountability. Follow the money. And never forget that every stolen naira is a meal stolen from a hungry child.