The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has faulted the federal government’s approval of a $9 million contract for lobbying activities in the United States.
The federal government engaged a lobbying firm to help present its efforts at protecting Christians in Nigeria to the United States government.
Documents from the lobbying contract filed with the US department of justice indicate that Aster Legal, a Kaduna-based law firm, retained the services of DCI Group on behalf of Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s national publicity secretary, the party described the spending as “scandalous” and evidence of “misplaced priorities”.
“The African Democratic Congress condemns the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration for deploying scarce public resources to launder its battered image abroad instead of addressing the deepening security and economic crises at home, as reported in recent disclosures on the federal government’s $9 million lobbying contract in the United States,” the statement said.
“No government in Africa has ever committed such an obscene sum to a short-term public relations exercise.
“While the ADC recognises the importance of representing Nigeria’s interests internationally, spending $9 million on image management at a time when millions of Nigerians cannot afford food, fuel, or basic healthcare is a clear case of misplaced priorities and moral blindness.”
The opposition party argued that the move amounted to a tacit admission of diplomatic failure by the Tinubu administration.
“A government that has left key ambassadorial positions vacant now seeks to outsource diplomacy to lobbyists, further weakening Nigeria’s institutional credibility and reducing foreign policy to transactional propaganda,” the statement added.
The ADC also took issue with the reported description of the lobbying initiative as a “campaign to communicate Christian protection efforts”, cautioning that it could heighten sectarian divisions.
“This risks deepening sectarian tensions and politicising security in a country already strained by religious and ethnic fault lines,” the party said.
“Security failures affect all Nigerians, regardless of faith, and cannot be addressed through selective messaging abroad instead of justice, accountability, and effective governance at home.”
The party called on the federal government to refocus on safeguarding citizens and rebuilding confidence in public institutions.
“Resources should be spent protecting lives, restoring trust in state institutions, and rebuilding a country in distress, not polishing the image of a government that has failed its most basic responsibility: the protection of lives and property,” the statement concluded.