The African Democratic Congress has unveiled a new political framework ahead of the 2027 general elections aimed at forcing elected officials to keep the promises they make to Nigerians during campaigns.
The party said the era of empty political promises, abandoned manifestos and unaccountable leadership must come to an end, insisting that Nigerians deserve leaders who can be measured by their performance in office.
Speaking in Abuja on the party’s new policy direction, the Secretary of the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, said the opposition party was working on a system that would tie its candidates directly to specific commitments contained in the party’s manifesto.
According to Lukman, one of the biggest problems with governance in Nigeria has been the failure of politicians to fulfil campaign promises after winning elections.
He said Nigerians have repeatedly witnessed situations where manifestos are used merely as tools to secure votes, only to be discarded after power is obtained.
Lukman explained that the ADC’s new manifesto and policy principles were designed to rebuild public trust and place accountability at the centre of governance.
“The Nigerian state must be reconstructed to serve the Nigerian citizen,” he stated.
He noted that the party’s policy document focuses on 12 critical sectors, including the economy, agriculture, education, healthcare, security, infrastructure, industrialisation and governance.
According to him, the framework also contains implementation strategies intended to move Nigeria away from what he described as a weak consumption-based economy.
Lukman said the party intends to establish what he called “manifesto compliance as a governance norm,” stressing that elected officials under the ADC platform would no longer be allowed to treat campaign promises as ordinary political slogans.
He revealed that aspirants and candidates seeking to contest under the party in 2027 would undergo orientation and induction programmes to ensure they fully understand and commit themselves to implementing the party’s policies once elected.
“Nigerians are anxiously looking forward to a situation whereby politicians can be held accountable for the electoral promises they made ahead of elections. This is an area that should distinguish the ADC from the APC and other parties in the country,” he said.
Lukman also took a swipe at the ruling All Progressives Congress, accusing the party of abandoning many of the promises it made to Nigerians after winning the 2015 presidential election.
According to him, the absence of ideological direction and policy discipline has contributed to the country’s worsening economic hardship and social instability.
“One of the biggest disappointments Nigerians have had with the APC is how, after winning the 2015 elections, the party abandoned its manifesto and almost all the electoral promises it made in 2015,” Lukman stated.
The former APC chieftain further criticised economic reforms that impose hardship on citizens without adequate support systems.
He maintained that economic policies should prioritise the welfare of ordinary Nigerians and not only focus on market stability.
“Macroeconomic stability must protect people, not just markets,” he added.
