The Federal Government’s $1bn Household Prosperity and Empowerment Social Protection Project has triggered a political dispute, with opposition parties alleging that the initiative is aimed at influencing voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The African Democratic Congress, Nigeria Democratic Congress and Social Democratic Party questioned the timing of the programme, which was launched in Abuja on Wednesday, less than a year before the elections.

However, the All Progressives Congress dismissed the allegations, insisting that the programme was part of the Bola Tinubu administration’s efforts to address poverty and provide sustainable support for vulnerable Nigerians.

Launched under the theme, “From Palliatives to Pathways,” the programme is designed to move Nigeria’s social protection system beyond short-term relief towards economic empowerment and self-reliance.

Unveiling the initiative, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu said the administration’s economic reforms had made continued support for vulnerable Nigerians necessary.

The programme targets about 7.6 million vulnerable households, with eligible beneficiaries expected to receive a one-off digital shock-response payment of N40,000. Beneficiaries will be selected from the National Social Register and verified with their National Identification Numbers.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, said the government was moving away from fragmented interventions towards a system capable of identifying vulnerable households, assessing their needs and tracking their progress towards self-reliance.

He disclosed that more than N600bn had been disbursed through cash transfers to vulnerable Nigerians over the past three years, reaching slightly more than 10 million households.

The ADC, however, questioned the timing and funding of the new programme, particularly with the 2027 elections approaching.

Its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, asked why the government was making a major financial commitment to social protection after years of complaints over rising food, transport and energy costs.

“Why did the poor only become visible when their votes become valuable?” the party asked.

The ADC also demanded clarification on the financing and administrative structure of the programme, including the institution responsible for accounting for the funds.

The NDC similarly questioned the timing of the intervention, with its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, saying the proximity of the elections would inevitably raise political questions.

The SDP went further, describing the initiative as “a household votes prospecting outreach”.

The APC, however, defended the programme, arguing that the government should not suspend its responsibilities because an election was approaching.

The party’s Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said the timing of an intervention did not automatically make it electoral inducement.

“Because an election is coming does not mean the government should fold its arms and shy away from its responsibilities,” he said.

Meanwhile, ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has challenged the Federal Government to reconcile conflicting figures over the number of households reached through its expanded cash-transfer programme.

Atiku, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the government had previously claimed that 15 million vulnerable households had been reached, while the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs recently put the figure at slightly over 10 million.

“So, where did five million households go? These are not opposition figures. They are Tinubu’s figures contradicting Tinubu’s figures,” he said.

Atiku also questioned how more than N600bn reportedly spent on the programme corresponded with the number of beneficiaries and the amounts disbursed.

He called for the publication of detailed payment records, including verified beneficiaries, payment tranches, state-by-state distribution, failed transactions and reversals, as well as an independent audit.

The former vice-president argued that being listed on a social register should not be regarded as proof that a beneficiary actually received government funds.

“A name on a social register is not a bank alert. Counting people in a database is not the same thing as proving money reached them,” he said.

Atiku further criticised the administration’s reliance on cash transfers, arguing that government should address the underlying causes of rising living costs rather than compensate citizens after economic pressures had already intensified.

He contrasted the approach with his proposed targeted intervention in the domestic petroleum sector, which he said would reduce fuel and transportation costs and ultimately ease pressure on households and businesses.

The controversy has placed the Tinubu administration’s latest social protection initiative at the centre of the emerging 2027 political contest, with the government maintaining that the programme is designed to protect vulnerable Nigerians, while opposition parties continue to question its timing, funding and implementation.