When Hospitals Don’t Have Ambulance
OpenLife News reports that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has carpeted the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the reported distribution of seven luxury Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) worth about N1 billion to its youth leaders, describing the move as insensitive and a misplacement of priorities.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party said the APC is prioritising political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections while hospitals lack ambulances, drugs and basic equipment and millions of youths remain jobless.
Abdullahi said the development has exposed the wide gap between the sacrifice Nigerians are being asked to endure and the luxury enjoyed by ruling party operatives.
“President Tinubu asks Nigerians to endure hardship while his party distributes luxury vehicles to its political operatives. Apparently, sacrifice is for ordinary Nigerians, while luxury is reserved for those working to keep the APC in power,” Abdullahi said.
He noted that Nigerians are battling rising food prices, high transportation costs, and collapsing purchasing power, yet the ruling party could mobilise billions for SUVs.
“The APC has found the resources to move its campaign officials around Nigeria. What it has failed to find is a convincing way to make life affordable for the Nigerians whose votes it now seeks,” the ADC spokesman added.
According to reports, the vehicles were handed to APC youth leaders across zones to boost grassroots mobilisation for 2027.
But the ADC questioned the logic of empowering only seven youth leaders with luxury vehicles when over 40 million young Nigerians are unemployed, underemployed and waiting for the jobs and economic relief promised by the APC government.
“Seven APC youth leaders can receive luxury vehicles, but millions of young Nigerians are still waiting for the jobs, opportunities and economic relief they were promised. Is this the APC’s idea of youth empowerment?” Abdullahi queried.
The ADC said the ruling party must come clean on the source of funding for the SUVs, insisting that Nigerians have a right to know whether taxpayers’ money or other public resources were deployed.
“When hospitals do not have ambulances, when schools lack chairs, when youths are jobless, spending N1 billion on SUVs for party youth leaders is not just provocative, it is irresponsible,” Abdullahi said.
“Nigerians deserve to know who paid for these vehicles. Until that question is answered, the ruling party cannot dismiss legitimate concerns about its priorities,” the party queried.
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