The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC) over its newly released 2027 manifesto, accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling party of repackaging unfulfilled promises made during the 2023 general election campaign.
The opposition party described the manifesto as a collection of recycled commitments, arguing that it reads like the policy document of a newly established political party seeking power rather than that of a government that has been in office since 2015.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC questioned why the Tinubu administration was campaigning on promises it should have fulfilled within its current tenure.
The party argued that nearly 12 years of APC leadership at the federal level and more than three years of President Tinubu’s administration should have provided sufficient opportunity to address many of the challenges now being highlighted in the new manifesto.
Citing specific examples, the ADC recalled that Tinubu promised in 2023 to provide health insurance coverage for 40 per cent of Nigerians within two years. It claimed that barely one in 10 Nigerians was currently covered, while the target had been shifted to 2031.
The party also questioned the administration’s performance on employment, recalling its promise to create one million information and communications technology (ICT) jobs within 24 months.
According to the ADC, government figures indicate that only about 15,000 jobs and opportunity pathways have been recorded against the promised target.
On electricity, the opposition party accused the APC of worsening a situation it had previously described as a national crisis.
It recalled that the ruling party had criticised electricity generation of 4,500 megawatts during the 2023 campaign but noted that its new manifesto acknowledged average generation of only 4,022 megawatts.
The ADC consequently questioned how the administration intended to campaign on resolving an electricity crisis which, according to the party, had deteriorated under its watch.
The opposition party also expressed concern over Tinubu’s proposed first 100-day programme in the event of re-election, arguing that several of the measures contained in the proposed agenda could already be implemented through the President’s existing executive powers.
“What exactly is stopping him from acting today? What stopped him from acting in 2023 when he came into office?” the party queried.
The ADC further accused the administration of failing to adequately address the worsening economic hardship confronting Nigerians, claiming that poverty had risen to 63 per cent under Tinubu’s watch.
It also argued that the N70,000 national minimum wage had lost more than a quarter of its purchasing power, leaving millions of households struggling to afford basic necessities.
According to the party, rather than account for its performance and explain its failures in the economy and security sectors, the APC had chosen to present another manifesto containing promises that remained largely unfulfilled.
“A manifesto is a promise of what a party will do. A record is evidence of what it has done. After nearly twelve years, the APC cannot keep presenting promises as a substitute for performance,” the statement read.
The ADC therefore challenged President Tinubu to publicly account for the major promises he made during the 2023 presidential campaign before seeking another mandate in 2027.
It demanded that the President clearly identify the promises fulfilled, those left unfulfilled and the reasons for the failures, insisting that missed targets should not simply be given fresh deadlines.
The party maintained that the 2027 general election should primarily serve as a referendum on the performance of the Tinubu administration since assuming office in May 2023, rather than an opportunity for the President to present himself as a fresh political alternative.
It concluded by insisting that Nigeria required a change of government rather than another round of political slogans, declaring: “Nigeria needs a change of government, not another change of slogans.”
