APC, ADC Bicker In Sokoto Over Govt Funds

APC, ADC Bicker In Sokoto Over Govt Funds

By Bashir Rabe Mani in Sokoto

The political atmosphere in Sokoto State is heating up ahead of the 2027 general elections as the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the African Democratic Congress, ADC, engaged in a war of words over the disclosure of government funds.

The controversy was triggered by a demand by the governorship candidate of the ADC, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’Iya, for the Sokoto State Government to disclose its Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, receipts from May 2023 to date.

In a statement signed by his Media Aide, Aminu Abdullahi, Dan’Iya challenged Gov. Ahmed Aliyu to publish a consolidated revenue-and-expenditure statement covering May 2023 to September 2026, with breakdown of FAAC receipts, internally generated revenue, other inflows, deductions, recurrent expenditure, capital spending and allocations to the 23 local government areas.

“Governor Aliyu should tell the people of Sokoto how much his government has received from the Federation Account from May 2023 to September 2026, how much it has generated internally, and how much has been spent. Tell us how much you have received before asking the people to judge what you have done with it,” Dan’Iya said.

He argued that while the governor is entitled to present his administration’s projects, the people deserve a clear account of public funds received, how the money was spent and measurable benefits delivered.

“He also demanded comprehensive account of funds allocated to the 23 local government areas during the same period, including monthly FAAC allocations, IGR, statutory deductions and expenditure, alongside project costs, contractors, timelines and evidence of completion.”

Dan’Iya said despite claims of achievements under the Nine-Point Smart Agenda, many citizens continue to raise concerns about insecurity, education, healthcare, water supply, workers’ welfare, employment and public infrastructure, questioning whether the scale of public spending has translated into improvements.

He maintained that a credible performance assessment must go beyond announcing projects or approving contracts, calling for transparent comparison between funds received, funds spent, projects completed and actual services delivered, stressing that public resources belong to the people and must be open to independent verification by citizens, journalists and auditors.

However, in a swift reaction, the APC described Dan’Iya’s demand as political grandstanding aimed at generating controversy without advancing meaningful accountability.

In a piece titled “Dan’Iya Must Answer For His Record” by Bello Shehu Tamaje, the APC argued that FAAC allocations to states are routinely reported through public channels and are accessible to journalists, researchers and interested citizens, hence demanding disclosure of figures already in public domain without identifying any specific discrepancy risks generating controversy.

The APC said debate should go beyond how much money Sokoto receives monthly to how effectively resources are managed and translated into tangible benefits in infrastructure, education, healthcare, security, water supply, agriculture and workers’ welfare.

The party said Governor Aliyu’s administration has continued to present its policies, projects and development initiatives for public assessment and has communicated project approvals and expenditure decisions through official channels.

It further argued that Dan’Iya, who served as Deputy Governor under former Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and previously as Commissioner for Local Government, must also be ready to account for his own years in public office.

“What lasting projects did the administration in which he served deliver? How effectively did it address challenges facing local governments? What was its record on workers’ welfare, pension obligations, public infrastructure and essential services?” Tamaje queried.

The APC contrasted its record on workers’ welfare with that of the previous administration, which it said was marked by delays and uncertainty in salary payments. It said the current government has implemented the new minimum wage across state and local government services and recruited 3,100 workers into various ministries, departments and agencies, 2,400 health workers and 1,550 personnel for the Sokoto Marshall to curb youth idleness.

It also cited the plight of pensioners and backlog of gratuities inherited from the previous administration, challenging Dan’Iya to explain circumstances surrounding those challenges during his time in government.

The APC insisted that accountability cannot be one-sided, noting that while the Aliyu administration must continue to provide reliable information on revenue, expenditure and project implementation, opposition parties should interrogate such information through evidence-based questions rather than general allegations.

“The 2027 general elections should offer the people of Sokoto an opportunity to compare records, examine promises and assess credibility of competing visions. No candidate should demand a standard of accountability from others that he is unwilling to accept for himself,” the statement added.

As at the time of filing this report, the Sokoto State Government is yet to officially release the consolidated revenue figures demanded by the ADC candidate.