Opposition Party Tackles Federal Govt Over Budget Under-implementation

The Democratic and Leadership Alliance (DLA) has tackled the federal government and President Bola Tinubu over what it described as persistent under-implementation of federal budgets, selective execution of appropriated projects and mounting debts owed to contractors.

The party also raised concerns over the management of government revenues, insisting that Nigerians deserve greater transparency on the relationship between increasing federal revenue and the level of development being delivered across the country.

In a statement signed by the national campaign council head of media and publicity, Dr. Tosin Odeyemi, the DLA said the administration, which came into office promising economic transformation and renewed prosperity, had instead presided over worsening economic hardship, declining purchasing power and deteriorating infrastructure.

Odeyemi alleged that none of the administration’s capital budgets since 2023 had achieved 30 per cent implementation, claiming that the 2025 budget had recorded less than 10 per cent implementation.

He argued that the situation required urgent and independent scrutiny, stressing that appropriations passed by the National Assembly were not merely political promises but had the force of law.

“Tinubu’s administration came into office promising economic transformation and renewed prosperity. Instead, Nigerians have experienced rising economic hardship, declining purchasing power, deteriorating infrastructure and what appears to be a troubling disconnect between budgetary promises and actual implementation,” he said.

The party also questioned the alleged poor funding of capital and constituency projects under the Zonal Intervention Projects in 2024, particularly the reported failure to pay some contractors who had executed projects for the federal government.

“The big question is, why are contractors still protesting over unpaid projects executed for the federal government? Where are the funds appropriated for these projects? Where are the trillions of naira that the federal government got from FAAC?” Odeyemi asked?

The DLA further criticised what it described as repeated extensions of previous budgets, noting that implementation of the 2024 budget continued into 2025, while the 2025 budget was subsequently extended into 2026.

It also expressed concern over the implementation of the 2026 budget, arguing that delays in implementation raised questions about fiscal discipline and the government’s capacity to execute programmes within the financial year for which they were appropriated.

According to the party, repeated budget extensions could undermine legislative oversight and make it difficult for citizens to track government spending and assess the performance of government agencies.

The DLA also linked its concerns to the federal government’s increased revenue following economic reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and changes in revenue collection.

It cited an announcement by the chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, that the country’s 2025 revenue collection target had already been surpassed by August.

The party, however, argued that increased government revenue had not translated into corresponding improvements in the living conditions of Nigerians, who, it said, continued to face higher fuel and transportation costs, rising food prices, inflation and declining household purchasing power.

“If government revenue is increasing, Nigerians have a legitimate right to ask: Where is the money going?” Odeyemi said.