The Zamfara State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged Governor Dauda Lawal to provide a comprehensive account of the more than N20 billion reportedly spent on projects in each of the state’s 14 local government areas.
The demand followed a recent statement by Governor Lawal in which he said his administration had executed projects worth over N20 billion in each of the 14 local government areas of Zamfara.
In a statement issued on Monday, the state chairman of the ADC, Kabiru Garba, said the party was seeking detailed and verifiable information on the projects allegedly executed with the funds.
Garba said the demand was based on the party’s position that citizens had a right to know how public funds were being spent and what tangible benefits government expenditure had produced across the state.
“The Zamfara chapter of the ADC is demanding that the state government provide a comprehensive and verifiable account of capital projects executed across the 14 Local Government Areas of the state since the commencement of the present administration,” Garba said.
According to him, accountability and transparency were essential components of good governance, particularly when large amounts of public funds were involved.
“As citizens of Zamfara and stakeholders in the political development of our dear state, we believe that government must be accountable to the people,” he said.
“Public resources belong to the people, and citizens have the right to know how such resources are being utilised and what tangible benefits they are receiving from government expenditure.”
ADC Seeks Breakdown of Expenditure
Garba said the party had carefully considered Governor Lawal’s recent claim regarding the administration’s investment of more than N20 billion in capital projects in each local government area.
He argued that if the figure was accurate, it represented a significant level of public investment that should be supported by detailed documentation.
“The ADC carefully listened to the governor’s recent statement regarding the administration’s investment of more than N20 billion in capital projects in each local government area,” he said.
According to Garba, the state government should provide details showing how the funds were distributed and the specific projects undertaken in the respective councils.
“Therefore, on behalf of the ADC Zamfara chapter, I respectfully challenge the government to provide the people with a clear breakdown of these investments,” he said.
The party’s request comes amid continuing public debate over government spending, infrastructure development and accountability in Zamfara State.
Zamfara Government Defends Governor’s Claim
Reacting to the ADC’s demand, the Zamfara State Government dismissed any suggestion that the governor’s statement was unclear or inaccurate.
The government’s Director-General of Media and Communications, Nuhu Anka, said Governor Lawal’s statement was straightforward and should be understood within the broader context of government expenditure across the state.
Anka maintained that the governor’s claim that more than N20 billion had been spent in each of the 14 local government areas was accurate, pointing to ongoing projects and government interventions in several sectors.
He cited road construction and rehabilitation, education, healthcare, security, agriculture and empowerment programmes as areas where government resources had been committed.
“When you look at government spending on the security sector on a daily basis, on agriculture and empowerment projects in each of the 14 LGAs, you will understand the statement made by Governor Dauda Lawal in this matter,” Anka said.
Government Accuses ADC of Political Motivation
The government spokesperson also questioned the motivation behind the ADC’s demand for a breakdown of the expenditure.
Anka described the party’s request as politically motivated and urged the opposition to focus on what he termed constructive criticism.
“I think the ADC should concentrate on constructive criticism, not based on political sentiment,” he said.
The response has therefore set the stage for a political debate over the scale of government spending in Zamfara and the extent to which the administration can demonstrate the projects and interventions said to account for the reported expenditure.
What the Dispute Is About
At the centre of the disagreement is Governor Lawal’s claim that his administration has invested more than N20 billion in projects in each of Zamfara’s 14 local government areas.
The figure, if applied equally across all 14 councils, would amount to more than N280 billion in total spending.
The ADC is asking the government to substantiate the claim with a detailed account of the projects executed, while the government maintains that the expenditure is justified by the scale of ongoing infrastructure and other interventions across the state.
The opposition party has framed its demand around transparency and public accountability, while the government has defended the expenditure and accused the ADC of approaching the issue from a political standpoint.
As the controversy continues, attention is likely to focus on whether the Zamfara State Government will release a detailed breakdown of the projects and expenditures referenced by the governor.
Such information could provide the public with a clearer picture of the administration’s investment across the 14 local government areas and help resolve questions surrounding the reported N20 billion expenditure per council.
For now, both sides remain divided: the ADC is demanding documentation and verifiable details, while the Zamfara Government insists that the governor’s claim is accurate and reflects ongoing projects and interventions across the state.
