2027 Elections: Tinubu, Finance, Works Ministers Asked to Prioritise Payment of Local Contractors

• APC Young Professionals have urged the Tinubu government to settle outstanding debts to local contractors
• Recall that protests erupted over N4 trillion owed to indigenous contractors for executed projects in the 2024 budget
• The APC group mentioned what non-payment of the debts may cost the ruling party in the 2027 general elections

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Abuja, FCT - The National Forum of APC Young Professionals (NFAYP) has urged the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government to prioritise clearing up the outstanding debts owed to the indigenous contractors in Nigeria.

The APC made the call in a statement released on Sunday, January 11, following the protracted faceoff between the federal government and the Indigenous contractors.

The statement was signed by the group's national chairman, Engr. Lukman Adejobi, and Secretary, Dr Godwin Lukas.

They bemoaned the inability of the federal government to fulfil its promises, despite a series of interventions and commitments.

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FG vs local contractors

Legit.ng notes that the last quarter of the year 2025 witnessed a lot of protests from the contractors over unpaid debts of the already executed and commissioned projects contained in the 2024 budget.

The contractors who barricaded the main entrance to the National Assembly and Ministry of Finance for weeks were demanding payment of over N4 trillion debt owed them in the projects they executed the previous year.

"Despite the interventions of the National Assembly in October and the Presidential Committee set up by our dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in December, 2025, the Ministers and Attorney-General of the Federation have refused to clear the arrears.

"They made some payments, but to a large extent, over N2tr is still outstanding, according to our findings. This non-payment of debts owed to indigenous contractors is seriously affecting us politically, aside from the economic aspect of it," the Forum posited.

Local contractors' debts: Tinubu's ministers cautioned

Meanwhile, the Forum also cautioned the ministers of finance, Wale Edun, and Works, Engr. Dave Umahi and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGoF), Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi; against placing premiums on the foreign contractors above their local counterparts.

The group also spoke on the potential political consequences of not paying the local contractors, who are also reportedly grassroots politicians.

"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 and have the right to support any candidate in the coming elections. But if you don't pay them the money owed, how can they be happy with the party APC? How can they mobilise for 2027? What if they decide to work against the APC for what the Ministers and Attorney-General are doing to them?" the statement read further.

The group accused the federal government of paying foreign contractors while complaining of a lack of funds for their local counterparts.

"You have forgotten that these same local contractors would be the ones to stand for you tomorrow during elections. No foreigner can decide any vote during elections in Nigeria. If we don't treat our own rights, we would be the ones to suffer the consequences when the time comes," the Forum added.

According to the group, not paying the local contractors is not just harmful to the economy; it may also affect the outcome of the 2027 general elections.

Local contractors urged to shelve planned protests

Nevertheless, the Forum urged the contactors to shelve their planned protests this January and give the federal government a little more time to enable the outstandings of the 2024 budget to be cleared.

It also called on the federal government to take desperate steps to urgently attend to the obligations owed to the indigenous contractors.