The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sounded a strong alarm over the recently signed health Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and the United States. The opposition party is demanding immediate clarification from the Federal Government, citing sharp and conflicting public descriptions of the pact that it says violate the constitution.
Conflicting Narratives Raise Constitutional Concerns
In a statement released on 19 January 2026, the party's National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, expressed deep dissatisfaction. This comes despite the Nigerian government's presentation of the MoU as a technical framework to strengthen health security, expand primary healthcare, and boost domestic health financing.
The ADC's primary concern stems from official statements issued by the United States Embassy, which describe the agreement in materially different terms. According to the party, the U.S. characterization introduces elements that are potentially unconstitutional.
"The U.S. characterisation introduces religious, identity-based framing, indicating that spending under the MoU should be targeted at health institutions backed by a particular religion only," the ADC noted. The party argues this directly conflicts with Nigeria's constitutional commitment to inclusion and national unity.
Questions of Sovereignty and Secret Clauses
Beyond the identity-based framing, the ADC highlighted another critical discrepancy. It pointed out that the U.S. statements reference discretionary termination powers for the United States, provisions that are conspicuously absent from the Federal Government's public summary of the agreement.
The ADC believes this omission is not accidental. "The ADC believes that this divergence is not a mere communications issue," the statement read. Instead, the party suspects it is a calculated move to avoid public scrutiny, raising fundamental questions about transparency and Nigeria's sovereignty.
These conflicting accounts leave Nigerians in the dark about the actual signed terms. "Nigerians are entitled to know which version of this agreement reflects the actual terms that were signed," the ADC asserted, questioning why such consequential differences exist between Abuja’s account and Washington’s.
A Call for Full Transparency and Disclosure
Consequently, the ADC has issued a direct call to action for the Federal Government. The party demands that the administration "come clean" by taking the following steps:
- Publish the full, unedited text of the signed MoU.
- Disclose any annexes or accompanying instruments.
- Clearly explain whether the identity-based and security-linked elements referenced by the U.S. are part of the binding agreement or merely foreign policy interpretations.
The ADC maintains that the Nigerian government must not enter into any agreement that is sectional or potentially harmful to the nation's constitutional principles. This standoff places the spotlight firmly on the Federal Government to provide clarity and ensure national interests are not subordinated in international pacts.
