Dare Babalola
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has criticised the Nigeria Democratic Congress, saying the party has no clear manifesto or governance plan ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Onanuga, in a statement posted on his X handle on Friday, said he visited the party’s website twice out of curiosity to review its manifesto and policy direction but found no accessible document.
According to him, the party, which recently became a platform for former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, failed to present a clear alternative vision for Nigeria.
“I was interested in the party’s manifesto and whether it has enunciated a markedly different vision for the governance of Nigeria, one better than President Tinubu’s and the APC’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
The presidential aide added that attempts to download the manifesto from the website were unsuccessful. “Even though the site invited visitors to click on its manifesto to read it, the result was negative. ‘No document found’ was the response I got each time I tried to download the manifesto,” Onanuga stated.
He further alleged that although the party was registered in February, it had only displayed six policy “nuggets” described as pillars instead of a detailed manifesto. He dismissed the policy points as vague statements rather than concrete programmes.
However, checks on the NDC website on Friday night showed six policy pillars listed on its homepage, including Economic Transformation and Job Creation, National Security and Stability, Youth Development and Innovation, Healthcare and Social Protection, Education Reform, and Governance and Institutional Reform.
A page titled “Our Manifesto” was also visible but contained no downloadable document.
Onanuga also challenged the party’s national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, to publicly unveil its vision and mission for Nigeria.
“Senator Dickson, I look forward to your vision and mission for Nigeria, as your party appears to be the camp for the politically displaced and desperate,” he said.
The comments come days after Obi and Kwankwaso joined the NDC following their exit from the African Democratic Congress. Dickson has since declared that the party is prepared for an “ideological battle” with the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 elections.
