The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has challenged Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, to explain why more than 250 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses purchased with public funds have allegedly been abandoned at the Trade Fair Complex in Minna.
The party accused the governor of wasting public resources, saying the buses could have eased the transportation burden on residents following the removal of fuel subsidy.
In a statement issued in Minna on Monday, the spokesperson of the SDP Governorship Campaign Council, Hon. Jonathan Vatsa, said the buses had remained unused for more than three years.
Vatsa, a former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, alleged that the vehicles had been left to deteriorate, with important components removed through vandalism.
He claimed that the abandoned buses had become hideouts for criminals and shelters for reptiles.
“What can the governor tell the people of this state as to the reason for allowing those buses that were purchased with the state’s resources to waste away at the Trade Fair Complex?” he asked.
Vatsa said the buses were acquired, reportedly through loans, to provide affordable transportation for residents struggling with the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
He described their alleged abandonment as evidence of what he called Bago’s penchant for leaving public projects unfinished.
The SDP spokesman also alleged that several government projects across the state had suffered the same fate.
He questioned why the administration continued to complain about inadequate funding despite substantial allocations from the Federation Account.
Vatsa further alleged that private projects and farms enjoyed adequate funding and round-the-clock activities while government projects remained abandoned.
He challenged the governor to explain the apparent disparity in funding priorities.
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, Vatsa urged Niger residents to reject what he described as a pattern of abandoned projects, mounting debts and poor management of public resources.
“In 2027, the people of this great state have a choice to make, either to remain stagnant with abandoned projects staring them in the face and unpayable loans, or choose the path of progress,” he said.
The SDP maintained that Niger residents deserved accountability for public investments and functional transportation infrastructure.