ABUJA, Nigeria — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been accused of failing to pay its employees for more than 12 months, with Dele Alake, spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, alleging that the party’s leadership has neglected the welfare of its workforce.
Alake made the remarks in a statement titled “Unpaid Staff Salaries: Nigerians Should Reject Abubakar and ADC Candidates”.
He accused the ADC National Working Committee, led by Senator David Mark as chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as secretary, of failing to meet its salary obligations to party workers.
He argued that the alleged non-payment raises questions about the party’s administrative management and its promises to Nigerians ahead of the next general elections.
However, the allegation that ADC staff have gone unpaid for more than a year was contained in the APC campaign spokesperson’s statement.
It has yet to be independently confirmed from the information available for this report.
APC Campaign Council Questions the Commitment of ADC to Workers
Alake described the alleged failure to pay salaries as unacceptable.
He argued that workers who depend on their earnings for their daily needs should not be left without their entitlements.
He maintained that a political party seeking to govern Nigeria should demonstrate responsible management of its internal affairs, including the timely payment of its employees.
The APC campaign spokesperson also questioned the credibility of ADC’s promises of political and economic change.
He argued that the party’s alleged difficulties in meeting its obligations to staff raised concerns about its capacity to manage public responsibilities.
Alake subsequently urged Nigerians to reject ADC candidates, including its reported presidential candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, in the next general elections.
His comments reflect the APC campaign council’s political position on the opposition party.
The statement did not provide documentary evidence of the alleged outstanding salaries, the number of affected employees or the total amount involved.
Atiku’s Gotel Communications Faces Renewed Scrutiny
Alake also referred to previous reports concerning alleged salary arrears and staff entitlements at Gotel Communications, a media organisation associated with Atiku Abubakar.
In December 2019, Premium Times reported that some Gotel employees complained of delayed salaries and outstanding payments.
The report quoted workers who said they had experienced difficulties receiving their salaries on time.
In May 2020, Gotel Communications confirmed a workforce rationalisation exercise that resulted in the disengagement of some employees.
The company’s management said the restructuring included the payment of disengagement benefits to affected workers.
However, the history of the dispute also includes a denial.
In October 2018, the Nigerian Union of Journalists and the Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union chapters at Gotel disputed earlier allegations that the organisation was owing members salaries and severance benefits.
They said payments were being handled under an agreed arrangement.
The reports establish that salary payments and staff entitlements at the media organisation have previously been the subject of public controversy.
They do not, on their own, establish that the current ADC leadership has failed to pay its employees for more than a year.
Aregbesola’s Osun Tenure and Outstanding Salary Arrears
Alake further criticised Aregbesola’s record as governor of Osun State, a position he held from November 2010 to November 2018.
The APC campaign spokesperson accused the former governor of presiding over a period in which workers received reduced salaries and pensioners experienced delays in receiving their entitlements.
There is documented evidence that Osun State accumulated salary and pension-related arrears during Aregbesola’s administration.
In July 2023, Channels Television reported that Governor Ademola Adeleke approved another payment of half-salary arrears inherited from the previous administration.
The report said the state government had inherited approximately ₦26 billion in half-salary arrears and ₦50 billion in pension-related debts.
In 2023, reports show that the Adeleke administration had ordered the payment of outstanding salary arrears and pension-related entitlements.
Aregbesola, however, previously defended his administration’s handling of the state’s finances.
In July 2019, he told the Senate during his ministerial screening that the state had faced economic difficulties following the 2014 recession and had adopted a differentiated salary-payment arrangement.
In a 2017 report, Aregbesola said workers were paid according to an agreed scheme.
Some categories received reduced salaries while lower-grade workers received their full pay.
The available records therefore support the conclusion that salary arrears and reduced salary payments were significant issues during his tenure.
Alake’s broader characterisations of Aregbesola’s administration remain political assessments.
They should be distinguished from the documented financial obligations.
Salary Allegation Against ADC Requires a Response
The central allegation in Alake’s statement is that ADC employees have gone more than a year without receiving their salaries.
Establishing the full circumstances would require confirmation from the party, affected employees or their representatives, as well as relevant salary records.
Key questions include:
- the number of employees affected,
- the period covered by the alleged arrears,
- the amount owed, and,
- whether any payments have been made during the period in question.
The ADC’s response to the allegation was not included in the statement supplied for this report.
No response from the party was independently verified for this publication.
The party’s leadership has a reasonable opportunity to address the allegations and provide details of its salary-payment arrangements.
APC Spokesperson Calls on Nigerians to Reject ADC Candidates
Concluding his statement, Alake called on Nigerians and working people to reject ADC, Atiku Abubakar and the party’s candidates in the next general elections.
He argued that a party seeking national leadership should demonstrate accountability in managing its internal affairs and meeting its obligations to employees.
The statement forms part of the wider political contest between the APC and opposition figures seeking to challenge the ruling party.
Whether the alleged salary arrears will affect public perceptions of ADC will depend partly on the evidence presented, the party’s response and any steps taken to resolve the reported dispute.
