Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the alleged ₦7 trillion budget padding uncovered by civic-tech group BudgIT, calling it a sign of deep-rooted corruption.
According to BudgIT’s report, 11,122 questionable projects totaling ₦6.93 trillion—12.5% of the ₦54.99 trillion 2025 budget—were inserted by the National Assembly with little or no justification. Among them were 238 projects worth over ₦2.29 trillion, each valued above ₦5 billion.
Reacting, Obi decried the country’s persistent corruption, noting the padded amount exceeds the combined allocations for education, health, agriculture, and humanitarian affairs (₦6.896 trillion). “That ₦7 trillion is even more than the ₦6.1 trillion allocated to national security,” he said.
He warned that the misuse of public funds is why critical sectors remain underfunded, leading to mass poverty, poor healthcare, and millions of out-of-school children.
Obi urged urgent reforms: “Nigeria must cease to be a crime scene. We need to confront corruption with unwavering resolve.”
Meanwhile, the National Assembly denied any wrongdoing, asserting its constitutional right to amend the budget.
The scandal has reignited calls for greater transparency in Nigeria’s budgeting process.
