As Campaigns Ramp Up, Opposition ADC Unveils 10-Point Northwest Agenda

…Promises targeted fuel subsidy, ₦110,000 minimum wage, 21 specialist hospitals, regional security network

By Abu Adamu
As political campaigns gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections, the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) has unveiled a 10-point programme it says governors elected on its platform will implement across Nigeria’s Northwest, placing cheaper fuel, higher wages, security, healthcare and education at the centre of its pitch to voters.

The party said ADC-controlled states in the region would support a targeted fuel subsidy designed to reduce petrol prices and, by extension, transportation costs and pressure on household expenditure.

The pledge puts the party’s Northwest campaign squarely into the continuing national debate over fuel subsidy and the cost of living, with the ADC arguing that carefully targeted government intervention could provide relief to households without necessarily returning to the previous subsidy arrangement.

Under the programme, the party also promised a minimum wage of ₦110,000 for workers in ADC-governed Northwest states, saying higher wages were necessary to improve purchasing power and help workers cope with rising living costs.

Security forms another major plank of the proposal. The ADC said its governors would establish a joint, technology-enabled security and rapid-response network covering all 21 senatorial districts across the seven Northwest states.

According to the party, the proposed regional arrangement would strengthen intelligence sharing, early-warning systems and responses to threats that frequently cross state boundaries.

The ADC also pledged to establish 21 specialist hospitals — one in each senatorial district — in an attempt to bring specialist medical services closer to residents and reduce the distances patients currently have to travel for advanced healthcare.

Education would similarly be treated as an emergency, the party said, with ADC administrations committing to increase school enrolment, recruit and train teachers, and integrate Almajiri and Tsangaya education into a broader educational framework.

The party said the intervention would be targeted particularly at reducing the number of out-of-school children in the region while improving the quality and accessibility of education.

Agriculture and food security constitute another component of the programme. The ADC promised to create what it described as “safe farming corridors” by improving security around agricultural communities and rehabilitating irrigation infrastructure.

It said restoring security to farming areas would enable displaced or threatened farmers to return to their fields, boost agricultural output, and ultimately contribute to lower food prices.

For young people, the party proposed a Northwest Youth Fund that would provide capital to entrepreneurs and businesses, alongside expanded vocational training, digital hubs, and skills-development programmes aimed at employment, entrepreneurship, and participation in the digital economy.

The ADC also promised to pursue what it called “One Northwest Market,” seeking deeper economic integration among the seven states through shared infrastructure, investment initiatives, and measures to make interstate trade easier.

The party said greater regional integration could expand markets for businesses, remove barriers to commerce, and make the Northwest more attractive to domestic and international investment.

Under the final plank of the programme, ADC governors would publish performance reports every three months, enabling citizens to compare campaign promises with projects and policies actually delivered.

The opposition party said the quarterly report cards would make accountability a central feature of governance by giving voters a regular opportunity to assess the performance of governors elected on its platform.

The proposals mark an effort by the ADC to shift the intensifying 2027 contest in the Northwest towards bread-and-butter issues, with the party offering voters a combination of cheaper energy, higher wages, improved security, and public services while promising greater regional economic coordination and measurable accountability.