Atiku Abubakar Demands Probe into N12.8 Trillion Budget

Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has urged the National Assembly to conduct a thorough investigation into the N12.8 trillion allocation in the 2026 budget. He criticized the government for failing to provide a clear explanation for the significant increase in the "service-wide vote," which ballooned from N638 billion in 2025 to N12.8 trillion in 2026, representing an increase of approximately 1,918 percent.

Abubakar highlighted that 84 percent of the entire budget is concentrated in just 10 ministries, raising suspicions about the allocation's transparency. He demanded that the government disclose the beneficiaries and the legal basis for the spending, arguing that the Nigerian people deserve clarity regarding the budget process.

Abubakar's senior special assistant, Phrank Shaibu, described the budget as a "brazen assault" on fiscal responsibility, calling for public scrutiny of the appropriations to restore integrity in Nigeria's budgetary practices.