ABUJA, Nigeria — Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar accused Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Monday of using the 2026 federal budget to conceal N12.8 trillion ($9.28 billion) in unaccountable spending through a surge in the Service-Wide Vote.
Golden Info reports that Phrank Shaibu released a statement on behalf of the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, indicating the discretionary budget line jumped from N638 billion ($462.3 million) in 2025 to N12.8 trillion ($9.28 billion) this year, representing a 1,918 per cent rise.
Abubakar stated the funds allocated under the Service-Wide Vote exceed the combined allocations for education, defence, and agriculture. He alleged the money is positioned to fund the ruling party’s campaign machinery and Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
“It is time to open the books, expose the truth and restore integrity to Nigeria’s budgeting process,” Abubakar said.
“Who exactly are the workers earning ₦2.19 trillion? Where are they? What offices do they occupy? What agencies do they belong to?” Abubakar said.
Abubakar directed Nigeria’s National Assembly to launch a line-by-line probe of the budget, specifically questioning Nigeria’s Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, where N2.19 trillion ($1.59 billion) is listed as personnel costs, compared to the N54.8 billion ($39.7 million) allocated for salaries at Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Finance.
The N12.8 trillion ($9.28 billion) sum is tied to 10 ministries, departments, and agencies, which together account for 84 per cent of the entire federal budget.