Nigeria's presidential adviser urges citizens to hold governors accountable

Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, posted on X urging Nigerians to hold their state governors accountable. He stressed that the President is not a prefect to the governors, saying, “The President is not a prefect to the governors. That is why I talk about federalism.” Bwala highlighted that federal allocations—₦600 million arriving this month and ₦2.26 billion between January and March—must be overseen by state Houses of Assembly. He called for legislative oversight, stating, “Here, your House of Assembly should also exercise oversight over appropriations that come to the state. You are to call them to account.” Without such oversight, he warned, even large sums would not improve primary healthcare, schools, law‑and‑order or other public services.

The adviser’s message came amid broader discussions on federalism and the distribution of government funds to local governments, emphasizing that effective oversight is essential for translating allocations into tangible benefits for citizens.