The influential National Forum of APC Young Professionals (NFAYP) has issued a stark warning to the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging it to immediately prioritise the settlement of outstanding debts owed to indigenous contractors across Nigeria.
Mounting Debts and Political Pressure
In a strongly-worded statement released on Sunday, January 11, 2026, the group highlighted the protracted faceoff between the federal government and local contractors. The statement, jointly signed by the Forum's National Chairman, Engr. Lukman Adejobi, and Secretary, Dr. Godwin Lukas, expressed deep concern over the government's failure to fulfil its financial obligations.
This call comes after a series of protests in the last quarter of 2025, where contractors barricaded entrances to the National Assembly and the Ministry of Finance for weeks. They were demanding payment for projects already executed and commissioned under the 2024 national budget, with the total debt estimated at a staggering N4 trillion.
Government Interventions Fall Short
The APC professionals noted that despite interventions by the National Assembly in October 2025 and the establishment of a Presidential Committee by President Tinubu in December 2025, the crisis persists. They accused key government officials, including the Ministers and the Attorney-General of the Federation, of refusing to clear the arrears.
"They made some payments, but to a large extent, over N2 trillion is still outstanding, according to our findings," the Forum stated. They emphasized that the non-payment is not only crippling the economy but is also "seriously affecting us politically."
Grassroots Mobilisation at Stake for 2027
The group issued a direct caution to the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi. They warned against prioritising foreign contractors over local ones, pointing out the critical political role indigenous contractors play.
"What the Ministers and Attorney-General don't know is that these local contractors have families and friends who are politically exposed. Some of them are also grassroots politicians by themselves," the statement read. It posed a crucial question for the ruling APC: "If you don't pay them the money owed, how can they be happy with the party APC? How can they mobilise for 2027?"
The Forum argued that while the government claims a lack of funds for local contractors, it continues to pay foreign firms. They reminded the administration that "no foreigner can decide any vote during elections in Nigeria," and that alienating local businesspeople could lead to a backlash at the polls.
In a conciliatory move, the APC Young Professionals Forum appealed to the aggrieved contractors to shelve any planned protests for January 2026 and allow the government more time to resolve the issue. Simultaneously, they called on the federal government to take "desperate steps" to urgently settle all outstanding obligations from the 2024 budget, framing it as both an economic imperative and a political necessity for the party's future.
