The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has faulted the renaming of the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
CUPP’s National Secretary, Chief Peter Ameh, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, observed that the pattern, which extends to other public assets including the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex, Bola Ahmed Tinubu Barracks, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal Polytechnic, reeks of personal branding and a desperate bid to rewrite history through paint and concrete, rather than through transformative leadership.
CUPP further described as reckless the expenditure of N39 billion on refurbishing the already functional Abuja International Conference Centre (ICC), while critical sectors like education and healthcare in the FCT crumble.
The group argued that 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.
CUPP noted that, unlike the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, who oversaw the ICC’s construction from the ground up but never sought to immortalise his name on the landmark, it is unfortunate that President Tinubu, whose administration merely renovated the centre at such an outrageous amount, renamed it after himself.
The opposition group contended that 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, particularly in the health and educational sectors.
“Primary school children have been out of school for three months due to underfunding and neglect. Area Councils and Primary Healthcare Centres have been paralysed by months-long strikes, leaving communities without essential services. These are the real emergencies demanding urgent attention, yet the administration prioritises vanity projects over the welfare of Nigerians,” it lamented.
“While citizens grapple with soaring inflation, insecurity, failing healthcare, and a collapsing education system, the Tinubu administration appears more committed to immortalising 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 thereby called for an immediate investigation into the FCTA’s expenditure on the ICC renovation and a reorientation of priorities toward education, healthcare, and economic empowerment.
It further urged 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,” it stressed.
