ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of deepening corruption, alleging that about N8.83 trillion spent in 2025 was not captured in the national budget.
Obi made the allegation in a statement posted on his verified X handle on Sunday, relying on what he described as findings contained in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) consultation report on Nigeria.
According to him, the reported expenditure was neither appropriated by the National Assembly nor subjected to legislative oversight and administrative scrutiny.
“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 the budget. This expenditure is not budgeted and is therefore not under legislative oversight or administrative scrutiny. This is horrible,” Obi stated.
The former presidential candidate argued that the figure represents roughly two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and exceeds 35 per cent of the country’s N123.96 trillion capital expenditure budget for 2025.
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He also maintained that the amount is greater than the combined allocations to the education and health sectors in the same fiscal year, stressing that the funds, if properly appropriated and managed, could have significantly improved public services, created jobs and stimulated economic growth.
Obi said the alleged expenditure reflects what he described as a disturbing pattern of financial mismanagement by the current administration, warning that continued disregard for established public finance procedures could weaken governance, worsen poverty and threaten national stability.
Describing the Tinubu administration as “grossly corrupt, incompetent and insensitive,” he argued that the alleged spending further highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
The former Anambra State governor also renewed his earlier call for President Tinubu to resign, insisting that the administration had failed to fulfil its campaign promises and had not demonstrated sufficient commitment to the welfare, security and economic well-being of Nigerians.
He urged citizens to continue demanding accountability from public office holders through lawful and democratic means.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency nor the Federal Government had issued a response to Obi’s allegations.