•Tinubu
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has raised the alarm over what it considered as President Bola Tinubu’s interest in self glory rather than nation building.
The coalition today expressed worry over the naming and renaming of public institutions and infrastructures after the president, reports Daily Independent.
National Secretary of the coalition, Peter Ameh, in a statement, said the “staggering misallocation of resources, coupled with the brazen renaming of public institutions after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, exposes a disturbing focus on self-glorification over nation-building”.
Ameh’s remarks are not unconnected to the use of N39 billion by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to refurbish the renovated International Conference Center (ICC), Abuja.
CUPP condemned the move against the background that critical sectors like education and healthcare in the FCT continue to crumble.
The statement further pointed out that despite building the ICC in 1991 at the cost of N240 million, General Ibrahim Babangida never sought to immortalise his name on it.
“In stark contrast, President Tinubu, whose administration merely renovated the ICC at an outrageous cost of N39 billion, has renamed it the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
“This pattern extends to other public assets, including the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex, Bola Ahmed Tinubu Barracks, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal Polytechnic,” it added.
Slamming Tinubu’s Actions as personal branding and a desperate bid to rewrite history through paint and concrete, rather than through transformative leadership, CUPP mocked the administration’s misplaced priorities.
“The N39 billion squandered on this unnecessary facelift could have funded a new, state-of-the-art national monument or addressed the dire crises plaguing the FCT. Primary school children have been out of school for three months due to underfunding and neglect.
“Area Councils and Primary Healthcare Centers have been paralysed by months-long strikes, leaving communities without essential services. These are the real emergencies demanding urgent attention, yet the administration prioritizes vanity projects over the welfare of Nigerians.
“While citizens grapple with soaring inflation, insecurity, failing healthcare, and a collapsing education system, the Tinubu administration appears more committed to immortalizing a name than solving these pressing challenges. This is not leadership—it is a shameful betrayal of public trust.
“For context, N39 billion is not just a renovation budget; it is a staggering leap from the N240 million used to build the ICC from scratch. This gross mismanagement of resources demands accountability.
“CUPP calls for an immediate investigation into the FCTA’s expenditure on the ICC renovation and a reorientation of priorities toward education, healthcare, and economic empowerment.
“We urge President Tinubu to focus on building a legacy through tangible solutions—schools that educate, hospitals that heal, and industries that employ—rather than plastering his name on public assets. Nigerians deserve leadership that uplifts the nation, not monuments to personal ambition.
The time for misplaced priorities is over. Let us build a Nigeria that works for all, not a gallery of self-glorification.”
