* Opposition party says Buhari-era FEC approval for $4.6bn project remains unfulfilled
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his renewed promise to construct the Ibom Deep Sea Port in Akwa Ibom State, questioning why the All Progressives Congress (APC) continues to make fresh commitments on a project that was approved by the previous administration in 2020.
The opposition party described Tinubu’s latest pledge as a repetition of an earlier campaign promise, insisting that the Federal Government had yet to demonstrate tangible commitment to translating the proposed multibillion-dollar project into reality.
Tinubu reportedly renewed the promise on Friday, November 6, 2026, while addressing supporters during his visit to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
However, in a statement Sunday, the NDC’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, accused the APC of using the proposed deep seaport as a political campaign instrument rather than demonstrating the political will to implement the project.
The party recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC), under former President Muhammadu Buhari, approved the implementation of the first phase of the $4.6 billion Ibom Deep Sea Port project on December 16, 2020.
According to the opposition party, the approval had identified Bollore/Power China as the preferred bidder and was expected to pave the way for the commencement of construction.
It argued that the renewed commitment by Tinubu was particularly troubling because he had also promised to build the port during the APC’s 2023 presidential campaign in Akwa Ibom State.
At the party’s presidential campaign rally held at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on January 30, 2023, Tinubu reportedly promised to establish the seaport alongside other development initiatives.
The NDC quoted the president as telling supporters: “We will do mechanised farming. We will export food from Akwa Ibom. We will build your seaport.”
The opposition party, however, accused the APC of failing to fulfil that commitment more than three years after making it.
It questioned the rationale behind making another promise on the same project without providing an account of what had happened to the earlier federal approval.
Describing the development as an indication of what it called the APC’s unfulfilled campaign promises, the NDC asked how many times the Federal Government would announce its approval of the Ibom Deep Sea Port before actual construction would commence.
“What a hocus-pocus, what hogwash, and what barefaced lies and shenanigans of a rudderless party! How many times will the APC approve the Ibom Deep Sea Port?” the party asked.
The NDC further accused the ruling party of elevating political promises above measurable performance, arguing that Akwa Ibom residents deserved concrete explanations on the status of the project rather than repeated assurances during electioneering.
It maintained that the deep seaport, if successfully implemented, would have significant economic implications for the state and the country, particularly in expanding maritime activities, facilitating international trade and creating employment opportunities.
The party also drew a comparison between the unfulfilled seaport promise and the Federal Government’s commitment to providing uninterrupted electricity across the country.
“As Nigerians are still waiting for the APC and President Tinubu to give us uninterrupted electricity supply, so Akwa Ibomites are waiting endlessly for the promised deep sea port that has become a campaign tool of deceit,” it stated.
The opposition party urged Nigerians to hold the ruling party accountable for its campaign commitments, insisting that electoral promises should be measured against actual delivery.
It called on voters to reject the APC in the 2027 general election, arguing that the country required a change in political leadership and governance priorities.
The NDC said its proposed political alternative offered Nigerians an opportunity to pursue what it described as a new direction for the country.
“Nigerians must shine their eyes and dump the APC into the abyss of socio-political irrelevance and make a new Nigeria possible,” the party added.
The statement was signed by Director, who reiterated the NDC’s position that a new Nigeria was possible under its political platform.
