The African Democratic Congress says it is setting out to “redesign governance” in Nigeria by ending the culture of godfatherism, budget padding, and patronage-driven politics, pledging a new model built on transparency, innovation, and citizen participation.
Budget padding is a situation in which a budget is made bigger than the original estimates through an increase in the value of items or the introduction of new items into the budget.
Some civic groups in June condemned the National Assembly for allegedly inserting projects worth N10.96tn into the national budgets between 2021 and 2025.
In a Friday statement titled “No Godfathers, No Budget Padding: How ADC Plans to Redesign Governance,” the party said Nigerian politics has “for too long revolved around personalities rather than principles, and power has been used for patronage rather than progress.”
The statement was shared on the official account of the ADC coalition mobilisation wing, ADC Vanguard on X.
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) stands to change that narrative, not by making vague promises but by introducing a complete redesign of how governance should work in a modern democracy,” the statement read.
The ADC said its vision “begins with one simple but radical idea: government must serve citizens, not politicians.”
“That means every project, every policy, and every kobo spent must be judged by its direct impact on the people, not by how much it enriches those in power,” it said.
Under an ADC-led government, the party promised that “a minimum of 70% of all budgeted projects will be mandated to directly benefit local communities, rather than disappearing into bureaucratic bottlenecks or inflated contracts.”
The party said it intends to make governance “measurable, transparent, and accountable,” adding that “every naira spent by the government will be traceable through an open digital ledger, accessible to citizens in real time.”
“With blockchain-backed systems, Nigerians will be able to see where public funds go from federal ministries to the smallest local projects,” the statement continued.
Calling transparency “the foundation of a new social contract between government and citizens,” the ADC said it would harness the potential of Nigerian youth by involving them directly in governance and accountability processes.
“We will harness Nigeria’s youth, our greatest natural resource, by channeling their creativity, digital skills, and entrepreneurial drive into the governance process.
“Young Nigerians will not only be employed by the government but empowered to audit it,” the statement said.
Through “public dashboards, community-driven data verification, and citizen participation platforms,” the ADC said governance would become “an open system where the people are both the beneficiaries and the watchdogs.”
Rejecting what it described as “the old order that thrives on secrecy and selective empowerment,” the party said its model would “embrace collaboration, performance, and service delivery.”
“Ministries and agencies will operate like value-driven enterprises, focused on measurable results rather than political favors,” the party added.
Ministers, it said, would be “appraised quarterly, not by their loyalty to party leaders but by their impact on lives, infrastructure, and social indicators.”
“This is governance redesigned: a model where public service becomes a performance contract, not a reward for political allegiance. A system where competence replaces connections, merit overtakes mediocrity, and transparency replaces corruption,” the ADC declared.
According to the statement, the party is not offering “another round of empty promises” but “a system that works.”
“The ADC is not coming to join the old game; we are coming to change the rules entirely.
“We believe government should function like a well-run business, but one where the citizens are the shareholders and the dividends are better roads, safer communities, quality education, affordable healthcare, and jobs,” it said.
The party concluded that its vision represents “a movement for responsible governance, where innovation meets integrity, and leadership is redefined as service.”
“The ADC is not asking Nigerians to dream of change. We are building it, one transparent policy at a time,” the statement concluded.
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