Tinubu Enabling Irresponsible Governors with Billions, Says Ex-APC Vice Chairman Lukman

Former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has accused President Bola Tinubu of encouraging bad governance by rewarding state governors who misuse federal allocations.

Speaking Friday on Channels Television’s “Sunrise Daily,” Lukman said the president continues to approve substantial funds for state governments despite widespread evidence of mismanagement and misuse of public money.

“Yes, the president has said the right thing,” Lukman noted, “but what is he doing to ensure that governors do what they need to do?”

Lukman’s remarks follow a scathing report released by the US Embassy in Nigeria earlier in the week. The report highlighted how governors across the country are spending billions to renovate government buildings, even as Nigerians struggle with economic hardship following the removal of the petrol subsidy.

The embassy criticized this trend as a sign of fiscal irresponsibility that fuels inequality and erodes public trust.

According to Lukman, state governors have become emboldened and increasingly unaccountable due to their control over political party structures.

“The 36 governors have become haughty because of their grip on party institutions,” he said, warning that without checks and balances, public funds will continue to be diverted from real development priorities.

Lukman, now aligned with an opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), called for structural reforms to reduce executive excesses and enhance citizen oversight at the state level.