Tinubu Sits Atop ₦68trn Budget, Yet Nigerians Still Hungry -ADC Owokoniran Cries Out
The South-West Zonal Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Hon. Rahman Owokoniran, has called for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s public finance system, saying the 2025 and 2026 Federal budgets failed to reflect the hopes and expectations of ordinary Nigerians.
Owokoniran lamented that despite unprecedented budget sizes running into tens of trillions of naira, Nigerians continued to battle high inflation, rising food prices, unemployment, worsening insecurity, poor healthcare, deteriorating infrastructure, and declining purchasing power.
Making his views in a statement issued in Lagos today Thursday, the ADC chieftain noted that concerns raised by oversight institutions, audit reports and public commentators over budget implementation, accountability, procurement transparency, debt servicing, and allegations of budget padding and wasteful expenditure had further weakened public confidence in government spending.
He said: “The question Nigerians are asking is simple, Where is the impact of these trillions? Why are our schools, hospitals, roads, and security conditions not improving at the same pace as government spending?”
He stressed that every naira appropriated belonged to the Nigerian people and must be managed with transparency, accountability, and measurable results.
Owokoniran assured Nigerians that an ADC administration under former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would restore fiscal discipline and rebuild confidence in governance by ensuring
• Transparent and accountable budgeting.
• Zero tolerance for waste and abuse of public funds
• Massive investments in education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure and security.
• Economic reforms that create jobs, support businesses, and reduce the cost of living.
• Youth and women empowerment through sustainable economic opportunities.
The ADC chieftain said: “Nigeria’s problem is not the absence of resources, it is the absence of responsible leadership and prudent management.
“With Atiku Abubakar and the ADC, every budget will be tied to measurable outcomes, every public fund will be accountable, and every Nigerian will have the opportunity to benefit from government policies.”
He urged Nigerians most especially the South-West to support the ADC’s vision of responsible governance, stating that the country deserved a government that placed performance above propaganda, accountability above politics, and the welfare of citizens above personal interests.
