Atiku Abubakar Questions ₦22.15bn Palace Budget

Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has raised concerns over the Tinubu administration's allocation of ₦22.15 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act for the construction and renovation of 106 palaces across Nigeria. He described this allocation as a “constitutional aberration,” arguing that the Nigerian Constitution does not grant the Federal Government the authority to fund traditional institutions.

Atiku emphasized that traditional institutions are under the jurisdiction of state and local governments, and questioned the legal basis for such federal appropriations. He also criticized the lack of transparency regarding the identities of the traditional rulers involved, the locations of the projects, and the communities affected, suggesting that this secrecy indicates potential corruption.

Atiku stated that the federal budget should not be used to assume responsibilities that the Constitution has assigned to state governments, calling the situation a breach of constitutional law.