ADC vows to join contractors’ protest if FG fails to clear debt backlog, pension arrears

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has threatened to mobilise its members and supporters for street protests in solidarity with thousands of indigenous contractors and pensioners owed billions of naira by the federal government.

In a statement on Sunday, Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesperson for the party, criticised the federal government for being “insensitive” to the welfare of the contractors and pensioners.

The contractors, under the aegis of the Association of Indigenous Contractors of Nigeria (AICON), have staged protests at the ministry of finance, carrying symbolic coffins to demand immediate payment of over N500 billion in certified debts for completed federal projects spanning several years.

In a separate development, pensioners from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and other parastatals have fixed Monday, December 8, for a nationwide “naked protest” over the non-implementation of the minimum pension and monthly palliative approved by the federal government since 2023.

“No serious government allows things to deteriorate to the point where citizens must resort to coffins and naked protests before they are taken seriously,” Abdullahi wrote.

“But this only further confirms that the APC government is insensitive and does not care about the damage that their actions or inactions do to the country’s image, and more importantly, to the livelihood of ordinary citizens.”

The statement pointed out the irony of the government repeatedly boasting of “meeting and surpassing revenue targets” while legitimate contractors are owed huge sums.

“You cannot claim revenue excellence while ordinary Nigerians are drowning in unpaid debts. Something is not adding up,” the party added.

The ADC also accused the government of shifting focus to the politics of 2027, citing reports of procurement of campaign vehicles and mobilisation of coordinators while critical obligations to citizens remain unmet.

“And, instead of addressing this crisis, the APC-led government is busy distributing campaign vehicles, mobilising coordinators, and building structures for 2027,” Abdullahi said.

“A government that cannot pay its own contractors and cannot honour its obligations to pensioners has absolutely no moral right to be campaigning for another term.

“We have taken note of the untold suffering and humiliation that both the contractors and the pensioners have had to endure. This has to end now.

“The ADC is therefore prepared to march in solidarity with them if the government refuses to act immediately to address their plight.”