The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has called on Nigerians to hold their state governors and local government chairmen accountable for how they utilize public funds, especially in light of the significant increase in monthly federal allocations.
Yilwatda made the remarks on Monday in Abuja during the public presentation of “Vicious Red Circle,” a book on human trafficking authored by Alex Oriaku.
According to the APC chairman, Nigerians must begin to demand measurable progress and people-focused development from subnational governments, noting that states now receive far higher allocations than in previous years.
“No governor in Nigeria collects less than three times, up to four times what they used to collect before. None,” Yilwatda said.
“Two years ago, there was a sharing of about ₦400 billion per month — but today, the last sharing they did was ₦2.2 trillion. So, they can do more for their people. Talk to your governors, talk to your local government chairmen. Let them do more.”
Yilwatda, who took over the party’s leadership amid growing debate over the nation’s economic direction, defended President Bola Tinubu’s policies, insisting that the administration remains committed to stabilizing the economy and delivering long-term growth.
He described the current phase as a “turnaround moment” for governance, urging political leaders at all levels to focus on tangible infrastructure, human capital development, and job creation.
The event also featured discussions on the urgent need to combat human trafficking, which continues to pose a major challenge in Nigeria. Speakers at the event highlighted the country’s complex role as a source, transit, and destination for trafficked persons within Africa and beyond, calling for stronger collaboration between government agencies, civil society, and international partners to address the crisis.
