A former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has accused President Bola Tinubu of enabling and rewarding state governors who mismanage and divert public funds.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, Lukman criticized the presidency for continuing to disburse large federal allocations to state governments despite clear evidence of misuse and lack of accountability at the sub-national level.
He said, “Yes, the president has said the right things publicly, but what concrete steps is he taking to ensure that governors actually deliver on their responsibilities to the people?”
Lukman, now a prominent figure within the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleged that many governors have grown increasingly arrogant and disconnected from the needs of the people, largely because they control political party structures in their states.
His comments come in the wake of a report released by the United States Embassy in Nigeria, which detailed how several governors continue to spend billions of naira on the renovation of government houses—despite the country’s worsening economic conditions triggered by the removal of fuel subsidies.
The former APC chieftain expressed concern that the federal government’s failure to demand transparency and good governance at the state level is contributing to a deepening trust deficit between citizens and political leaders.
Lukman’s remarks are the latest in a series of growing criticisms aimed at President Tinubu’s handling of intergovernmental fiscal responsibility and his relationship with the country’s 36 state governors.
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