Ask Atiku Abubakar — Official Citizen Engagement Platform

What is your stance on devolving power, resources, and revenue control from Abuja to the states?

On giving more power to states, I am determined to move key responsibilities off the Exclusive Legislative List and onto the Concurrent and residual levels, so your state has greater control over sectors that affect your daily life. This means transferring greater authority to states over policing, prisons, and railways. It means decentralising control over mines, minerals, oil fields, and natural gas, with clear national standards and safeguards in place. I will also let states manage things like business registration, drugs and narcotics control, and criminal identification systems. On power, I plan to move electricity distribution and generation off the exclusive federal list, so states and off-grid developers can connect and supply electricity directly to communities like yours. Alongside this, I want to strengthen fiscal federalism and revenue allocation, reforming the revenue-sharing system to give states a greater share of national resources and stronger incentives to develop their local economies.

On resource control, I am determined to promote responsible resource control with national balance. States will have greater control over natural resources within their territories, while contributing fairly to the federation through taxes and royalties. This means amending laws like the Petroleum Act, the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, the Land Use Act, and the Petroleum Profit Tax Act, so states can manage and benefit more directly from their resources. States will remit agreed taxes or royalties to the federal government to maintain national balance and shared responsibility. I also want to encourage states to develop resource-based industries, including processing and value addition, rather than relying solely on extraction, with clear regulatory frameworks for environmental protection, transparency, and accountability. I want to expand the derivation principle to cover solid minerals and hydropower, so producing states benefit more directly.

Where this comes from

p. 15 1.8. FISCAL FEDERALISM & REVENUE ALLOCATION (UNDER ECONOMY) Party Manifesto 2027-2031 2026-10-05 ›
The ADC will: 1. Rebalance Nigeria's federal system to give states greater power, responsibility, and resources. We will pursue a stronger fiscal federal structure, devolve key powers to states, and promote practical regional cooperation, while preserving national unity. 37
p. 16 1.9. MSME TAX REFORM Party Manifesto 2027-2031 2026-10-05 ›
2. Strengthen fiscal federalism and revenue allocation. We will reform the revenue-sharing system to give states a greater share of national resources and stronger incentives to develop their local economies. ● Expand and strengthen the derivation principle to include solid minerals and hydropower, ensuring producing states benefit more directly 3. Devolve powers to states for more effective governance. We will move key responsibilities from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent and residual levels, allowing states to take greater control over critical sectors. ● Transfer greater authority to states in areas such as policing, prisons, and railways ● Decentralize control over mines, minerals, oil fields, and natural gas, with clear national standards and safeguards ● Allow states to manage areas such as business registration, drugs and narcotics control, and criminal identification systems ●
p. 22 MANIFESTO OF THE AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (ADC) Party Manifesto 2027-2031 2026-10-05 ›
7. Promote responsible resource control with national balance. States will have greater control over natural resources within their territories, while contributing fairly to the federation through taxes and royalties. This will drive local development while preserving national cohesion. Details: ● Amend relevant laws, including the Petroleum Act, Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, Land Use Act, and Petroleum Profit Tax Act, to enable states to manage and benefit more directly from their natural resources ● Require states to remit agreed taxes or royalties to the federal government to maintain national balance and shared responsibility ● Encourage states to develop resource-based industries, including processing and value addition, rather than relying solely on extraction ● Establish clear regulatory frameworks to ensure environmental protection, transparency, and accountability in resource management 8. Promote the inclusion of women, youths, and persons with disabilities in governance. We will ensure that vulnerable and underrepresented groups are meaningfully included in political appointments, decision-making processes, and elective offices, with clear policies and institutional support to make inclusion a reality, not just a promise.
p. 1 CANDIDATE-APPROVED ANSWER Candidate-approved answer 2026-10-11 ›
I am determined to transfer greater authority to states in key areas: policing, prisons, and railways. I also want to decentralise control over mines, minerals, oil fields, and natural gas, with clear national standards and safeguards in place. Beyond that, I will allow states to manage things like business registration, drugs and narcotics control, and criminal identification systems. This means moving key responsibilities from the Exclusive Legislative List down to the Concurrent and residual levels, so your state can take greater control over critical sectors affecting your daily life.
p. 1 CANDIDATE-APPROVED ANSWER Candidate-approved answer 2026-10-11 ›
Yes, I support this. I am determined to promote responsible resource control with national balance: states will have greater control over natural resources within their territories, while contributing fairly to the federation through taxes and royalties. This means amending laws like the Petroleum Act and the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act so states can manage and benefit more directly from their resources, while still remitting agreed taxes or royalties to the federal government to maintain shared responsibility. I also want to expand the derivation principle to cover solid minerals and hydropower, so producing states benefit more directly.
p. 1 CANDIDATE-APPROVED ANSWER Candidate-approved answer 2026-10-11 ›
Here is what I will move, and why it matters for you: I want to take key responsibilities off the Exclusive Legislative List and put them on the Concurrent and residual levels, so your state has greater control over sectors that affect your daily life. Specifically, I will transfer greater authority to states over policing, prisons, and railways. I will decentralize control over mines, minerals, oil fields, and natural gas, with clear national standards and safeguards in place. I will also let states manage things like business registration, drugs and narcotics control, and criminal identification systems. On power, I plan to move electricity distribution and generation off the exclusive federal list, so states and off-grid developers can connect and supply electricity directly to communities like yours.
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