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Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said that the reported omission of about ₦8.83 trillion in government expenditure from Nigeria’s 2025 budget reflects what he described as grand corruption under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement on Sunday, Obi referenced the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) recent consultation report, which found that government expenditure equivalent to about two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product was not reflected in the country’s budget framework.
Grand Corruption: Nigeria’s Greatest Threat.
The recent report from the IMF consultation further raises concerns about the scale of grand corruption under the Tinubu government. The IMF now reveals that about N8.83 trillion in expenditure undertaken in 2025 is not reflected in…
— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) July 5, 2026
According to him, the expenditure, estimated at ₦8.83 trillion, was incurred outside the budget process and therefore not subject to legislative oversight or administrative scrutiny.
He argued that the amount represents more than 35 per cent of Nigeria’s 2025 capital budget of ₦23.96 trillion and exceeds the combined allocation for the education and health sectors.
Obi said if properly utilised and accounted for, the funds could have transformed Nigeria’s healthcare and education systems, supported the establishment of hundreds of cottage industries, created jobs for thousands of graduates and laid a stronger foundation for economic development.
“If such an amount is properly used and accounted for, it could transform Nigeria’s public health and education sectors. It could create hundreds of cottage industries that can provide jobs for thousands of graduates and build a solid foundation for economic development. But we cannot account for it. This is not an isolated incident,” Obi said.
He, however, alleged that the latest revelation was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of large-scale corruption under the current administration.
Obi further warned that corruption carried out in disregard of basic public finance rules poses a serious threat to national security, weakens state institutions and worsens poverty.
Obi further accused the administration of being corrupt, incompetent, and insensitive, arguing that a responsible government would have channelled such resources to address pressing infrastructure and social welfare needs.
“This is a pattern of grand corruption that has become part of this administration.
“We have a lot to worry about regarding the state of corruption under President Tinubu. The sort of corruption that is ingrained in total disregard of elementary rules of public finance management poses a grave danger to national security and the stability of the Nigerian state. The capture of the Nigerian state and the plunder of its resources are actions that undermine the basis of state stability and deepen poverty and state failure.
“This recent revelation proves that the APC government is grossly corrupt, incompetent, and insensitive. With the growing poverty and the urgent need for significant upgrades to social and physical infrastructure, a responsible and responsive government would ensure that N8.83 trillion is prudently utilised to address these gaps. But not the Tinubu administration,” Obi added.
He reiterated his earlier call for President Tinubu to resign, saying recent developments had reinforced his position that the administration lacked the competence, capacity and commitment needed to govern effectively.
“A few days ago, I called on President Tinubu to resign from office for incompetence, lack of capacity, lack of compassion, and failure to improve on his campaign promises.
“The collapse of elementary forms of due process under Tinubu and the increased evidence of rampant looting of Nigerian public finances reinforce the need for greater accountability,” he said.
Obi also urged Nigerians to demand greater accountability from the government through lawful means, insisting that the country’s growing governance challenges require urgent action.
