The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has called for a thorough investigation into the 2026 Appropriation Act under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku’s demand follows reports of more than N210 billion in alleged duplicated and overlapping budget allocations.
The former Vice-President made the call in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, describing the alleged duplication as evidence of what he termed poor fiscal management by the Federal Government.
He said the controversy emerged at a time when Nigerians were facing rising inflation, high unemployment and worsening economic conditions despite the government’s economic reforms.
According to Atiku, the latest revelations were not isolated incidents but part of what he described as a pattern of questionable budgetary practices that have continued to raise concerns about the transparency and integrity of Nigeria’s public finance system.
“In recent months, Nigerians have witnessed budgetary allocations for projects outside the statutory mandates of agencies, controversial insertions running into billions of naira, and expenditures that bear little relationship with the pressing needs of ordinary citizens,” he said.
He added that the government had often responded to such concerns with denials before acknowledging issues after being presented with evidence.
Atiku also criticised the Federal Government’s handling of fuel subsidy removal, arguing that Nigerians were not given the full picture of the policy’s implications.
He cited audited financial statements from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which he said showed that N7.13 trillion was spent in 2024 on what the company described as “Energy Security Expenses”, a category he linked to petrol subsidy payments and under-recovery.
The former Vice-President argued that Nigeria’s current economic challenges contradicted claims of progress, saying many citizens continued to struggle with the rising cost of living.
He lamented that households were finding it increasingly difficult to meet basic needs, businesses were closing due to economic pressures, and many graduates remained unemployed despite government assurances that its reforms were delivering positive results.
