2026 Budget: PDP Demands Accountability In Execution

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the proposed 2026 Budget presented by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly will consolidate the sufferings of Nigerians.

It, however, called for increased transparency and accountability in the administration of the country’s finances, which it said have been conspicuously absent so far under this administration.

The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Comrade Ini Ememobong, in a statement, said the party branded the 2026 budget as ‘consolidated renewed sufferings’ because what Nigerians have witnessed since the birth of this administration was nothing but unmitigated hardship on the people, while the governing class relished in affluence.

Referencing President Tinubu’s 3.98% GDP growth rate as evidence of economic stabilisation under his administration, the opposition party said it is well established that economic growth alone does not and cannot guarantee improved living standards for citizens.

The Opposition party spokesman said according to the 2025 World Bank Poverty & Equity Brief, more than 30.9% of Nigerians live below the international extreme poverty line which showed that there is growth without prosperity for citizens and that despite GDP growth, poverty remains endemic.

The party said this indicated that whatever economic gains exist were not reaching the majority of Nigerians.

The PDP also said while the president noted that the economy, under his watch, grew by 3.98%, he did not state the sectors that stimulated the growth or identify those who benefitted from it.

The opposition spokesman, however, said the president’s figure reflected the economic decline the nation has suffered under the leadership of the APC-led Federal Government when compared to the growth rate of 6.87% recorded in 2013 (same period under the last PDP administration), which was driven largely by non-oil sectors such as agriculture and trade.

“Today, the President celebrates a 3.98% growth rate, whereas a reality check reveals excruciating hunger, a high cost of living, and other indices of economic hardship, which Nigerians are currently facing,” he stated.

The party added that despite acknowledging the security allocation in the 2026 budget, large allocation alone was insufficient.

“We therefore demand effective and transparent execution to ensure that security funding translates into tangible improvements -modern equipment, adequate ammunition, improved intelligence capabilities, and better welfare for security personnel who are currently engaged in different theatres of armed conflict, where criminal non-state actors are alleged to possess superior arms compared to our security forces.

“Overall, we are deeply concerned about the unapologetic admission by the President that the execution of the 2024 capital budget had been extended to December 2025, while the 2025 budget is still in force.

“This confirms the long-standing rumours of the concurrent operation of multiple budgets. This cannot be described as best practice, as every budget has a defined period of operation and no two budgets should operate concurrently.

“The operation of different budgets at the same time undermines fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability. These multiple budgetary regimes show yet another unprecedented negative feat by this APC Bola Tinubu-led administration.

“We hereby call for increased transparency and accountability in the administration of the finances of our country, as these have been conspicuously absent so far under this administration.

“Financial accountability and transparency are critical to public trust-building and effective public administration,” the PDP said.