The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has unveiled plans to “redesign governance” in Nigeria, pledging to dismantle the entrenched systems of godfatherism, budget padding, and patronage-driven politics that have long defined the nation’s political landscape.
In a statement released on Friday, titled “No Godfathers, No Budget Padding: How ADC Plans to Redesign Governance,” the party said it aims to introduce a new model of leadership built on transparency, accountability, innovation, and active citizen participation.
“For too long, Nigerian politics has revolved around personalities instead of principles. Power has been used for patronage rather than progress,” the party declared. “The African Democratic Congress stands to change that narrative — not through vague promises, but through a complete redesign of how governance should function in a modern democracy.”
The statement was shared on the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of ADC Vanguard, the party’s coalition mobilisation wing.
According to the ADC, its vision begins with a “simple but radical idea” — that government must exist to serve citizens, not politicians.
Crusade Against Budget Padding
The party also condemned the persistent culture of budget manipulation in Nigeria, where inflated allocations and hidden projects have allegedly siphoned public resources for political gain.
Budget padding refers to the practice of artificially inflating government budgets by inserting unnecessary items or exaggerating project costs — a practice critics say has eroded fiscal discipline and deepened corruption.
In June 2025, civic organisations accused the National Assembly of inserting projects worth over ₦10.96 trillion into the national budgets between 2021 and 2025, sparking public outrage and calls for reform.
A Call for a New Political Culture
The ADC said it seeks to break the “cycle of dependency” that has made elected officials answerable to political godfathers rather than the people who voted for them.
“We are building a movement that will replace political godfathers with the real stakeholders — ordinary Nigerians,” the statement read. “Our redesign of governance is not about changing faces; it’s about changing systems.”
The party promised to roll out a citizen-centered reform agenda in the coming months, focusing on open governance, digital accountability tools, and inclusive decision-making.
About the Author
