By Our Correspondent
The former National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, has accused state governors of diverting billions of naira meant for local government administration every month.
Speaking on Sunday at a Leadership Summit jointly organized by the ADC and the National Coalition Alliance (NCA) in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nwosu alleged that governors across the country routinely seize council allocations and release only a fraction to chairmen.
“Each local government receives between ₦300 million and ₦600 million monthly, but chairmen are given as little as ₦5 million or ₦10 million, while governors pocket the rest. In Ebonyi alone, with 13 councils, imagine the billions siphoned every month,” he said.
He lamented that despite these diversions, state governments continue to impose heavy taxes on ordinary citizens.
“They even tax barrow pushers. It’s wicked. Governance has become a tool for personal enrichment. That must stop,” Nwosu declared.
The former ADC chairman accused governors, particularly those under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), of using power as an instrument of oppression and undermining democracy.
He condemned the reported harassment of ADC supporters by members of the state-owned Neighbourhood Watch security outfit at the initial venue of the summit.
“You were given power by God to serve as governor, yet you use it to destroy democracy. You block young people from even aspiring to become councillors unless they join cults. But change is coming. A new leadership is emerging from the ADC, built on selflessness and true service to the people,” he said.
Nwosu, who also disclosed that he rejected huge financial inducements and attractive political appointments from the APC, said the ADC’s mission goes beyond conventional politics. According to him, the party’s vision is to rescue Nigeria from decline and build a nation based on transparency, integrity, and service.
“If I wanted billions or government positions, I could have easily obtained them. But I refused because I will not trade the future of Nigerians for personal gain,” he stated.
In his remarks, the National Coordinator of the NCA, Dr. Sunday Opoke, urged Nigerians to vote out failed leaders in the 2027 elections, arguing that governance in Nigeria has collapsed.
“Our education system is in ruins. No minister or commissioner of education has their children in public schools. The health system is broken. Water, electricity, infrastructure — all have collapsed. These leaders have failed. If we hired them, it’s time to fire them,” he said.
Opoke emphasized that the ADC/NCA coalition offers the roadmap Nigeria urgently needs. “Globally, every functional nation has a roadmap. Without direction, speed is meaningless. ADC and NCA are offering that direction — a clear path toward a functioning Nigeria. Yes, Nigeria is in darkness now, but this darkness will not last.”
He also called for urgent electoral reforms, warning that without them, the cycles of failure and misrule would persist.
