The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has pledged to “redesign governance” in Nigeria by ending godfatherism, budget padding, and patronage-driven politics, promising a new political culture rooted in transparency, innovation, and citizen participation.
Budget padding refers to the deliberate inflation of budget estimates through the addition of unnecessary or overpriced items. In June, several civic groups accused the National Assembly of inserting projects worth ₦10.96 trillion into Nigeria’s national budgets between 2021 and 2025.
In a statement on Friday titled “No Godfathers, No Budget Padding: How ADC Plans to Redesign Governance,” shared via its mobilisation wing, ADC Vanguard, on X (formerly Twitter), the party said Nigerian politics has been dominated for too long by “personalities rather than principles” and by “patronage rather than progress.”
“The African Democratic Congress (ADC) stands to change that narrative—not by making vague promises, but by introducing a complete redesign of how governance should function in a modern democracy,” the statement read.
According to the party, its vision begins with one guiding principle: “Government must serve citizens, not politicians.”
The ADC said that under its leadership, every government project and policy would be evaluated based on its direct impact on the people — not on how much it enriches those in power.
“At least 70% of all budgeted projects will be required to directly benefit local communities rather than vanish into bureaucratic bottlenecks or inflated contracts,” the party vowed.
The ADC also committed to making governance “measurable, transparent, and accountable.” It promised that every naira spent by the government would be traceable through a real-time, open digital ledger accessible to citizens.
“With blockchain-backed systems, Nigerians will be able to see where public funds go — from federal ministries down to the smallest local projects,” the statement added.
Calling transparency “the foundation of a new social contract between government and citizens,” the party said it would harness the creativity and digital skills of Nigerian youth by directly involving them in governance and accountability initiatives.
“Young Nigerians will not only be employed by the government but empowered to audit it,” the ADC stated.
Through public dashboards, community-driven data verification, and citizen participation platforms, the ADC said it would transform governance into an open system where citizens serve as both beneficiaries and watchdogs.
Rejecting the “old order of secrecy and selective empowerment,” the ADC said its new model would emphasize collaboration, performance, and measurable results.
Ministries and agencies, it noted, would operate like value-driven enterprises, with ministers and leaders appraised quarterly based on their tangible impact on citizens’ lives rather than loyalty to party leaders.
“This is governance redesigned — a model where public service becomes a performance contract, not a reward for political allegiance. A system where competence replaces connections, merit overtakes mediocrity, and transparency replaces corruption,” the party declared.
The ADC concluded that it was not offering “another round of empty promises,” but rather a practical, transparent system that works.
“We are not joining the old game; we are changing the rules. The ADC believes government should function like a well-run business where citizens are shareholders, and the dividends are better roads, safer communities, quality education, affordable healthcare, and jobs,” the statement said.
According to the party, its movement represents “responsible governance where innovation meets integrity and leadership is redefined as service.”
“The ADC is not asking Nigerians to dream of change — we are building it, one transparent policy at a time,” it concluded.
