Atiku exposes N8.8 trillion off-budget spending and demands EFCC, ICPC probe

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the EFCC and ICPC to investigate the IMF's claim that Nigeria omitted public spending worth two percent of its GDP from recent budgets. The IMF's Resident Representative in Nigeria, Christian Ebeke, confirmed that this means projects worth roughly N8.8 trillion were executed entirely off-budget, without legislative approval or audit.

Atiku alleged that the Tinubu administration is operating a parallel fiscal system, awarding multi-trillion naira contracts beyond the reach of the Auditor-General, procurement laws, and the National Assembly. He also claimed that N800 billion was deducted from state allocations through the Progressive Governors Forum, bringing the total to N9.6 trillion being assembled as a political war chest for the 2027 elections.

Atiku argued that while Nigerians suffer from fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation, the government maintains a shadow treasury. He urged the National Assembly to open an investigation and called on the Auditor-General to conduct an independent audit. If this is true, how can anyone trust the budget figures we are told every year?