The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says the decision by the Bola Tinubu-led administration to approve a $9 million contract for lobbying services in the United States of America is a complete misplacement of priority.
ADC in a statement signed by the spokesman, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the expenditure as an attempt to launder the government’s image abroad while Nigerians grapple with worsening insecurity and economic hardship.
The new Coalition party noted with concern that the APC government embraced such a “moral blindness” at a time many citizens cannot afford basic necessities.
The party further noted that no amount of image laundering can wash away the blood of thousands of Nigerians killed under the administration, emphasizing that lobbying to impress foreign leaders cannot substitute for a coherent strategy to end the bloodbath in Nigeria.
According to the party, it was unrealistic to believe that paid lobbying could erase what it described as mass killings and widespread insecurity in the country.
ADC while pointing out that Nigeria does not need propaganda but leadership, called on the Federal Government to prioritise the protection of lives and the restoration of trust in state institutions.
Part of the statement read: “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.
“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.”
“No amount of image laundering can wash away the blood of thousands of Nigerians killed under this administration’s watch. Lobbying to impress foreign leaders cannot substitute for a coherent strategy to end the bloodbath.”
