*Gov Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto State has faulted the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Manir Dan Iya, for demanding that the state government disclose its monthly allocations from the Federation Account since 2023, insisting that the information is already in the public domain.
The ruling party said allocations to state governments were publicly reported through official channels, describing Dan Iya’s demand as unnecessary.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Director-General of Media and Publicity at Government House, Sokoto, Abubakar Bawa, said the administration of Governor Ahmed Aliyu operated on the principles of prudence, accountability and transparency.
Bawa added that decisions taken at State Executive Council meetings, including approvals for projects and their costs, were made public.
He, however, challenged Dan Iya to account for the achievements of the administration of former Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, in which the ADC candidate served as deputy governor.
The APC alleged that despite receiving billions of naira in monthly allocations, bailouts and other intervention funds, the previous administration failed to deliver commensurate development projects.
According to the party, the administration also left pensioners waiting for their gratuities for six years, denied ministries, departments and agencies their monthly imprest and left the state with substantial debts.
The APC further accused the previous government of routinely delaying workers’ salaries until the 15th day of the following month, alleging that some workers received payments with shortfalls and had limited opportunities to seek redress.
Bawa said the situation inherited by Aliyu’s administration in May 2023 included unpaid electricity bills running into billions of naira, which allegedly plunged educational institutions and the Government House into darkness.
He added that outstanding student registration and tuition fees, both within Nigeria and abroad, exceeded N5 billion, while sabbatical allowances owed to visiting lecturers were also unpaid.
The APC spokesman said the Aliyu administration had since cleared the inherited liabilities, including outstanding payments owed to students.
He also listed the implementation of the new minimum wage for state and local government workers, including Local Government Education Authority staff, among the achievements of the current administration.
According to him, the government has recruited 3,100 workers deployed to various ministries, departments and agencies, alongside 2,400 health workers and 1,550 personnel for the Sokoto Marshall initiative.
He said the recruitments were part of efforts to strengthen public service delivery and improve security across the state.
The party also cited projects in road infrastructure, security, water supply, religious affairs, education, rural development and healthcare as evidence of the administration’s performance.
On infrastructure, the APC said some projects awarded but abandoned under the previous administration, including the Rijiya Flyover and Tashar Illela Road project, had either been completed or were at various stages of completion under Aliyu.
The ruling party maintained that it would seek re-election based on its record of achievements and projects delivered across the state.
It urged Dan Iya to explain what the previous Tambuwal administration accomplished during its tenure and why it deserved another opportunity to govern Sokoto State.
The APC further alleged that the previous administration was characterised by poor infrastructure, deteriorating educational and healthcare facilities, inadequate support for security agencies combating banditry and uncertainty over the payment of workers’ salaries.
“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 added that it would continue to raise questions about the record of the previous administration throughout the campaign period.