Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on the National Assembly to immediately conduct a comprehensive forensic review of the 2026 Appropriation Act, following revelations of over N210 billion in alleged duplicated and overlapping budget allocations. In a statement issued on Saturday, July 18, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the alleged discovery, coupled with Nigeria's poor performance on global prosperity indicators, as evidence of what he termed "fiscal recklessness" under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku argued that Nigerians had endured years of economic hardship after being told that the removal of fuel subsidy, exchange rate unification, higher taxes, and increased tariffs were necessary reforms that would eventually improve the economy. He questioned how the same government could fail to explain how over N210 billion was allegedly captured in duplicated and overlapping budget provisions despite the sacrifices imposed on citizens. “For more than three years, Nigerians have been subjected to relentless hardship. They were told that fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, higher taxes and rising tariffs were bitter pills that would eventually restore economic stability. Yet today, the same government cannot explain how more than N210 billion found its way into duplicated and overlapping budget provisions,” Atiku said.
The former vice president further alleged that the findings were consistent with a broader pattern of questionable budgeting, including allocations for projects outside the statutory responsibilities of government agencies and multi-billion naira budget insertions. He maintained that a government asking citizens to endure economic hardship must itself demonstrate fiscal discipline. “When a government asks its people to sacrifice, it must first demonstrate discipline. Instead, what Nigerians have seen is a budget riddled with duplication, questionable insertions, overlapping projects and expenditures that offend both common sense and fiscal responsibility,” he said.
Atiku also renewed his criticism of the administration's handling of fuel subsidy, claiming Nigerians were misled over the policy. Citing the audited 2024 financial statements of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, he alleged that the company recorded N7.13 trillion under what it described as "Energy Security Expenses," which he argued amounted to subsidy payments under a different name. “Nigerians were never told the whole truth. The subsidy was not eliminated; it was merely repackaged, renamed and quietly charged against the Federation,” he said. He argued that a government that conceals N7.13 trillion behind a convenient euphemism while demanding sacrifice from millions of struggling citizens cannot claim the moral authority to preach reform, prudence or fiscal discipline.
The ADC chieftain further argued that the integrity of the national budget had been compromised, warning that such practices could erode investor confidence and weaken public trust in government institutions. “The national budget is the single most important economic policy document of any government. It should reflect national priorities, inspire investor confidence and assure citizens that every naira borrowed or earned will be spent wisely. When that document itself becomes contaminated by duplication and overlapping allocations, confidence in the entire machinery of government is undermined,” he added.
Atiku urged the National Assembly to publish every duplicated allocation, identify every official responsible for inserting or approving such provisions, and ensure that all improperly appropriated funds are recovered. He also called on the Auditor-General of the Federation, anti-corruption agencies, and civil society organisations to independently investigate the 2026 budget and make their findings public. Atiku pledged that an ADC administration would restore credibility to public finance through transparent budgeting, zero-based expenditure planning, digital public expenditure tracking, and strict personal accountability for public officers. “When the owner of the barn invites goats to keep watch over his harvest, he should not be surprised when hunger follows abundance. Nigeria deserves custodians of her commonwealth, not Bourdillon caretakers of waste,” he added.
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