Sokoto State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has asked the African Democratic Congress, ADC, governorship candidate, Manir Dan Iya, to account for the performance of former Governor Aminu Tambuwal’s eight-year administration, in which he served as deputy governor.
The challenge came after Dan Iya urged the Sokoto State Government to disclose revenue it has received from the Federation Account since 2023.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Abubakar Bawa, Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Sokoto, called the demand unnecessary. He argued that federal allocations to states are already available through official channels.
“Allocations to states from the Federation Account are publicly reported through the relevant official channels. Therefore, asking the Sokoto State Government to disclose information that is already in the public domain is unnecessary,” he said.
Bawa said Dan Iya should instead explain what the previous administration achieved and what he plans to offer Sokoto residents if given the chance to govern.
The APC said Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s administration has shown commitment to transparency, accountability and prudent use of public funds, adding that decisions of the State Executive Council, including project approvals, are made public.
The party, however, accused the Tambuwal administration of leaving behind financial liabilities, unpaid obligations and inadequate infrastructure despite receiving large monthly allocations and intervention funds.
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It alleged that pensioners waited six years for their gratuities and that ministries, departments and agencies did not receive regular imprest.
The APC also alleged that civil servants often faced salary delays, with payments sometimes running to the 15th day of the following month.
“Even then, salary payments were uncertain, leaving workers unsure of when they would receive their entitlements,” Bawa said.
He claimed that the Aliyu administration inherited large unpaid electricity bills when it took office in May 2023, affecting government facilities such as schools and the Government House.
The party also put unpaid registration and tuition fees for students in Nigeria and abroad at more than N5bn, in addition to unpaid sabbatical allowances for visiting lecturers.
Bawa said the current administration has cleared these inherited liabilities, including the payments owed to students.
On workers’ welfare, the APC said the Aliyu administration has implemented the new minimum wage across state and local government services, including staff of Local Government Education Authorities.
It also said the government has recruited 3,100 personnel into ministries, departments and agencies, 2,400 health workers and 1,550 personnel for the Sokoto Marshall security initiative.
These exercises, it said, were meant to improve public service delivery, healthcare and security.
The party also pointed to projects in roads, water supply, education, healthcare, rural development and security as proof of the administration’s performance.
It said projects abandoned by the previous administration, including the Rijiya Flyover and the Tashar Illela Road, have been completed or are at various stages of completion under Aliyu.
The APC said its re-election campaign will rest on its record and projects across the state.
“Rather than demanding information that is already publicly available, Dan Iya should tell the people of Sokoto State what the Tambuwal administration, in which he served as Deputy Governor, achieved to deserve another opportunity to govern the state,” Bawa said.
The party vowed to keep questioning the previous administration’s performance throughout the campaign.
The exchange comes as parties in Sokoto step up preparations for the 2027 elections, with revenue transparency, public spending, workers’ welfare, infrastructure and security expected to dominate the debate.
Dan Iya, who was deputy governor under Tambuwal, is seeking to unseat the APC-led government.
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