“They owe Nigerians an explanation” — Peter Obi

2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP),  Peter Obi has voiced his concerns regarding the alleged padding of the 2024 budget with N3 trillion, calling for transparency and accountability from both the Presidency and the National Assembly.

The controversy arose following claims made by Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, who alleged that the National Assembly passed a budget of N25 trillion for 2024, contrary to the N28.7 trillion proposed by the Federal Government.

According to Ningi, Northern lawmakers engaged the services of a private auditor, who uncovered irregularities in the budget.

However, these assertions were rebuffed by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, who refuted Ningi’s claims, stating that the government allowed the National Assembly to increase the budget by N1.2 trillion in line with democratic principles.

Reacting to the discrepancies, Peter Obi released a statement expressing his deep concern over the alleged N3 trillion disparity in the budget figures.

He emphasized that such a significant amount, representing over 10% of the national budget estimated at N29 trillion, raised serious questions about accountability and fiscal management.

In his statement, Obi highlighted the magnitude of the alleged padding, noting that it surpassed the combined budgets for education (N1.54 trillion) and health (N1.38 trillion).

Peter Obi underscored the importance of transparency in managing public funds, stressing that Nigerians deserved clarity on how such vast sums were allocated and utilized.

Obi urged both the National Assembly and the Presidency to provide a comprehensive explanation regarding the purported N3 trillion addition to the budget.

He wrote:

“I find it deeply disconcerting and a matter of grave concern and even shameful to read about the alleged N3 trillion discrepancy between the budget approved by the Nigerian Senate and the one being implemented by the presidency.

“One Senator claims there is a separate budget, allegedly containing the N3 trillion, that differs from what was passed by the National Assembly.

“This alleged discrepancy is especially worrying because it represents over 10% of our national budget (estimated at N29 trillion) and is more than the combined education (N1.54 trillion) and health (N1.38 trillion) official budgets.

“We also deserve full accountability of all our scarce resources placed in public trust. Therefore, we, the Nigerian people, demand a public explanation from both the National Assembly and the Presidency regarding the purpose and process of adding this alleged N3 trillion.”