2027: Disclose how much Sokoto received, spent, ADC candidate tells governor

The ADC governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Manir Dan’iya. Photo: ADC

The African Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Manir Dan’iya, has challenged Governor Ahmed Aliyu to disclose the total revenue received by his administration and how it was spent between May 2023 and September 2026.

Dan’iya said the disclosure was necessary to enable residents to assess the governor’s performance ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the government should account for public funds before asking opposition parties to present their records of achievements.

The ADC candidate made the demand in a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Aminu Abdullahi, in response to Aliyu’s recent declaration that the All Progressives Congress would rely on projects executed by his administration to campaign for re-election in 2027.

PUNCH Online reports that Aliyu made the declaration at the Government House in Sokoto after observing the Jumu’ah prayer on Friday, challenging opposition parties to adopt a similar approach by presenting their own records rather than resorting to personal attacks.

The governor said his administration would campaign on its people-oriented projects and achievements, expressing confidence that its performance would speak for itself during the electioneering period.

However, Dan’iya welcomed the principle of issue-based campaigns but insisted that the governor’s record could only be properly assessed if the government disclosed its revenue and expenditure.

“Governor Aliyu should tell the people of Sokoto how much his government has received from the Federation Account from May 2023 to September 2026, how much it has generated internally, and how much has been spent,” he said.

“Tell us how much you have received before asking the people to judge what you have done with it,” Dan’iya added.

He also called on the governor to provide a comprehensive breakdown of funds allocated to the state’s 23 local government areas within the period, including their monthly Federation Account allocations, internally generated revenue, statutory deductions and expenditure on public services.

According to him, making the financial records available alongside project costs, contractors, implementation timelines and evidence of completion would enable residents to assess the performance of the state and local governments based on verifiable information.

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Dan’iya further questioned whether the administration’s spending had translated into tangible improvements in the lives of residents, citing concerns over insecurity, education, healthcare, water supply, workers’ welfare, unemployment and public infrastructure.

He urged the government to subject projects whose costs, implementation status or benefits had been questioned to independent scrutiny, insisting that allegations of inflated costs, incomplete projects or expenditure without corresponding results should be investigated through documentary evidence and appropriate accountability institutions.

The ADC candidate maintained that assessing the government’s performance should go beyond announcing projects, awarding contracts or releasing aggregate financial figures.

He called for a transparent comparison of revenue received, expenditure incurred, projects completed, ongoing projects and services delivered to communities.

“The same standard of accountability should apply to the state government and all 23 local government councils,” he said, adding that public resources belonged to the people and must be accounted for in ways that allow independent verification.

Dan’iya consequently challenged Aliyu to publish a consolidated revenue-and-expenditure statement covering May 2023 to September 2026, detailing Federation Account receipts, internally generated revenue, other inflows, deductions, recurrent expenditure, capital spending and allocations to local governments.

He said the debate ahead of the 2027 elections should be anchored on accessible records that citizens, journalists, auditors and relevant public institutions could examine.

“The people of Sokoto are entitled to ask simple questions: How much money came in? Where did it go? Which projects were completed? What changed in the lives of the people?” he said.

“Before telling the opposition to present its record, tell the people how much you received and show them the evidence of what you delivered,” the statement added.