The Peoples Democratic Party has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s 2026 budget, describing it as a “Budget of Consolidated Renewed Sufferings” that continues to allegedly impose economic hardships on Nigerians while enriching the governing class.
In a statement on Friday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said that despite assertions of economic growth and stability, the budget falls short in tackling widespread poverty, rising living costs, and insecurity, highlighting the administration’s failure to convert fiscal policies into real benefits for Nigerians.
Tinubu on Friday presented a ₦58.18 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly, projecting a cautiously improving economy and promising stricter budgetary discipline.
Unveiling the “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity” at a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives, Tinubu stated that the fiscal plan aims to consolidate recent macroeconomic gains, restore confidence, and convert stability into widespread prosperity for Nigerians.
In response, the PDP alleged that Nigerians have endured significant economic hardships under the current administration.
The party stated, “We see it rather as a budget of consolidated renewed sufferings, because what Nigerians have witnessed since the birth of this administration is nothing but unmitigated hardship on the people, while the governing class relishes in affluence.
“President Tinubu cited a 3.98% GDP growth rate as evidence of economic stabilisation under his administration.
However, it is well established that economic growth alone does not and cannot guarantee improved living standards for citizens.
“According to the 2025 World Bank Poverty & Equity Brief, more than 30.9% of Nigerians live below the international extreme poverty line. This shows that there is growth without prosperity for our citizens, meaning that despite GDP growth, poverty remains endemic. This clearly indicates that whatever economic gains exist are not reaching the majority of Nigerians.
“The President stated that the economy under his watch grew by 3.98% without stating the sectors that stimulated the growth or identifying those who benefitted from it. This figure reflects 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.”
The opposition party called for transparent and effective use of security funds to provide modern equipment, sufficient ammunition, better intelligence, and improved welfare for personnel facing well-armed criminal groups.
It continued, “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.
While we acknowledge the security allocation in the 2026 budget, we must remind the government and Nigerians that allocation alone is 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.”
It urged greater transparency and accountability in managing the nation’s finances, which have been largely lacking under the current administration.
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