Indigenous Contractors Threaten To Disrupt APC Convention Over N150Billion Debt, Give Tinubu Govt 48-Hour Ultimatum
Indigenous Contractors Threaten To Disrupt APC Convention Over N150Billion Debt, Give Tinubu Govt 48-Hour Ultimatum
The warning came on Tuesday as the group resumed its demonstration in Abuja, demanding the immediate payment of N150 billion within 48 hours.
The All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) has threatened to stage a protest at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention scheduled for this weekend in Abuja, citing the Federal Government’s alleged failure to settle outstanding payments owed to its members.
The warning came on Tuesday as the group resumed its demonstration in Abuja, demanding the immediate payment of N150 billion within 48 hours.
AICAN National President, Jackson Nwosu, accused the government of reneging on commitments made during previous engagements with contractors, particularly following protests held between December 2025 and January 2026.
He stated that only N21 billion has been paid during the period under review, leaving more than N1 trillion still outstanding.
“For AICAN members, the government has only paid N21 billion between this period. What remains to be paid is over N1 trillion, but what we are discussing as immediate payment is N150 billion,” Nwosu said.
He warned that failure to meet the demand within the stipulated timeframe would result in the disruption of the APC convention.
“Our immediate demand is for the payment to be made within the next two days. If not, the planned APC national convention in Abuja will not be successful. We will mobilise and ensure our presence is felt at the venue,” he added.
Nwosu further accused the government of deception, insisting that officials had already committed to making the payment.
“We expected that money to drop into the accounts of our members. We are already in talks with officials of the Ministry of Finance, but enough is enough,” he said.
Also speaking, AICAN National Secretary, Babatunde Seun, alleged that members of the association are facing severe hardship due to the unpaid debts, claiming that some contractors have died as a result.
He criticised what he described as the Federal Government’s “continuous lies,” noting that payments have stalled since January 2026 after the initial N21 billion disbursement.
“A lot of our members are dying as a result of this debt. We lost a member to prostate cancer who was owed over N100 million. If that money had been paid, he could have undergone surgery,” Seun said.
He also accused the government of attempting to divert the payment process to the Debt Management Office, a move he rejected on behalf of the association.
Seun further alleged that government officials recently travelled to the United Kingdom to negotiate deals worth over N748 billion pounds, describing the contractors’ demand as insignificant in comparison.
“All the money the government is owing us is about N1.15 trillion. Our demand for N150 billion is just a fraction. Instead of planning for the 2027 general elections, the government should pay us what we are owed,” he said.
He added that although President Bola Tinubu had reportedly directed that payments be made to indigenous contractors, bureaucratic delays were preventing compliance.
