ADC to Join Protesting Contractors, Pensioners Over Unpaid Federal Government Debts

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced that it is ready to join the nationwide protests by local contractors and federal pensioners if the Federal Government continues to ignore their demands for payment.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC criticised the Federal Government for accumulating huge debts owed to indigenous contractors and pensioners. It described the situation as further proof that the APC-led administration is indifferent to the hardship faced by ordinary Nigerians.

According to the statement, indigenous contractors have been protesting for weeks at the Federal Ministry of Finance, displaying coffins as a symbol of the suffering caused by unpaid contract fees. Pensioners, on their part, have threatened to stage a naked demonstration if the government fails to pay their long-overdue pension arrears.

“No responsible government allows situations to deteriorate to the point where citizens must resort to carrying coffins or threatening naked protests just to be heard,” the ADC said. “This only reaffirms that the APC government is insensitive to the damage its actions and inactions are causing—not only to the country’s image but also to the livelihoods of its people.”

The party questioned the Federal Government’s repeated claims of “meeting and surpassing revenue targets,” wondering why contractors are still owed more than ₦500 billion for completed projects and why pensioners are still waiting for approved increments and palliatives after more than a year.

“You cannot boast about strong revenue performance while citizens are drowning in unpaid debts,” the ADC said. “Something is clearly not adding up.”

The party further condemned the ruling government for focusing on political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections instead of addressing the worsening economic crisis.

“A government that cannot pay its contractors or fulfil its obligations to pensioners has no moral justification to campaign for another term,” the ADC stated. “We acknowledge the suffering these groups have endured, and we are prepared to march alongside them if the government fails to act immediately.”

The ADC reaffirmed its commitment to standing with citizens affected by the failures of the current administration, promising to help restore trust where it has been broken.

Meanwhile, protests by contractors and pensioners continue at the Ministry of Finance in Abuja. Contractors insist they will keep drawing national and international attention to their situation, noting that many borrowed heavily from banks to execute the projects for which they have yet to be paid, pushing several into bankruptcy. Pensioners are also demanding their long-overdue retirement benefits after years of service to the nation.