The ‘Greater Addu’ vision being promoted by the People’s National Congress (PNC) administration is a great hoax like the ‘India Out’ campaign it ran back when it was in the opposition, says Ali Nizar, the mayor of Addu City.
Nizar, a politician from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) who is eying re-election, made the remark in a post on X on Sunday in response to a ‘The Greater Addu’ poster in PNC colors shared by Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan, who himself is a native of Addu.
In his post, Nizar questioned whether the PNC administration what a ‘Greater Addu’ means, and described it as a deceptive hoax similar to the ‘India Out’ campaign, during which PNC politicians now serving senior government posts alleged neighboring India was running a military base out of the police academy in Addu.
އައްޑޫ ސިޓީއެއްގެ ގޮތުގައި އޮންނަ އޮތުން ހަޖަމް ނުކުރެވި ، ޑރ. މުއިޒްގެ ސީދާ މަޝްވަރާގެ މަތިން އައްޑޫ ރޫޅާލުމަށްފަހު އަދި އެކަމަށް މަސައްކަތް ކުރި މީހުން "ދަ ގްރޭޓަރ އައްޑޫ" ކިޔަނީ އޭގެ މާނަ އެނގިގެން ބާއްވައޭ ސުވާލު އުފެދޭ. މިއީ ހަމަ "އިންޑިއާ އައުޓް" ކަހަލަ ބުހުތާން… pic.twitter.com/R0sNNyZM64
— Ali Nizar (@DhekunuNizar) February 8, 2026
The PNC was unable to provide evidence backing the allegations even after coming to power, prompting public criticism.
Speaking to Sun, Nizar alleged that while the PNC is now promoting a ‘Greater Addu’, the first thing the government did at direct orders from President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu is to divide the populous southern city, especially to separate Feydhoo from the rest of the city.
“I believe there can be no greater lie than this. Declaring a ‘Greater Addu’ after doing all this makes it nothing but a blatant lie,” he said.
In his presidential address on Thursday, President Muizzu announced plans to develop Addu as an IT hub and provide tax cuts to promote trade and investment in the city.
But Nizar described this as an empty declaration that lacks any concrete plan.
He said that the Addu City Council has not been made aware of any details regarding this.
“I don’t know any details. I don’t know what their concept is, what their idea is. They are just parroting people,” he said.
Nizar has repeatedly criticized the PNC administration for failure to implement many of the projects it has announced for the city, including the Addu bridge project.