Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has advised Nigerians to hold their state governors accountable for the welfare of their citizens rather than blaming the President for challenges facing the country. Bwala made the remark against the backdrop of allocations from the Federal Government to state governments, posting on X that the President is not a prefect to the governors and that state Houses of Assembly must exercise oversight over appropriations that come to the states.
“The President is not a prefect to the governors. That is why I talk about federalism. They have State Houses of Assembly. At the centre, whatever the President provides for implementation goes through ministers and the National Assembly, which exercises oversight,” Bwala wrote on his official X handle on Saturday, June 20, 2026. “Here, your House of Assembly should also exercise oversight over appropriations that come to the state. You are to call them to account. There is ₦600 million. By this month, another ₦600 million will come into this local government. The money is here.”
Bwala argued that the Federal Government has consistently released funds to states and local governments, and that it is the responsibility of state governments to ensure these funds are utilised for the benefit of the people. He noted that between January and March 2026, ₦2.26 billion was disbursed to local governments. “If you divide it, you will understand what has come in,” he said. He listed the potential uses of such funds, including reviving primary healthcare, putting primary schools in place, taking care of construction projects, improving law and order, employment, recruitment, empowerment, and the mobilisation of vigilantes to serve as a community vanguard and first line of defence for society. “That money would have also provided prescription drugs and subsidised healthcare for the people,” he added.
The presidential aide warned that without accountability at the state and local government levels, no amount of federal funding would solve Nigeria's problems. “Now, if we do not hold our governors at the federated level accountable, even if the President sends $30 billion here, we will still be having the same conversation,” he said.
Bwala's comments come amid ongoing debates over the performance of state governors and their utilisation of federal allocations, particularly as Nigerians continue to grapple with economic hardship and insecurity across the country. The statement has drawn mixed reactions on social media, with some users agreeing that governors must be held accountable, while others argued that the President, as the leader of the country, also bears responsibility for the overall direction of the nation.
The presidential aide's intervention follows similar calls by other political figures and civil society organisations for greater accountability at the sub-national level, especially in light of the recent Supreme Court judgment affirming financial autonomy for local governments. As the debate over federalism and resource allocation continues, Bwala's remarks have added a new dimension to the discourse, shifting the focus from the centre to the states and local governments.
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