Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has accused the Tinubu administration of “grand corruption” following a report by the International Monetary Fund, IMF, that N8.83 trillion in 2025 expenditure was not captured in the national budget.
Obi made the allegation on Sunday in a statement on his X, formerly Twitter, account, saying the unbudgeted spending took place outside legislative oversight and administrative scrutiny.
Citing the IMF consultation report, the presidential candidate said the amount was undertaken in 2025 without appropriation.
“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.
“The recent report from the IMF consultation further raises concerns about the scale of grand corruption under the Tinubu government,” he said.
Obi stated that the N8.83 trillion represents about 2% of Nigeria’s GDP and over 35% of the N23.96 trillion capital expenditure budget for 2025.
He added that the figure exceeds the combined allocations to education and health in the 2025 budget, arguing that the funds could have been deployed to improve public services, create jobs, and drive economic growth.
The former Anambra State governor said the development reflects a pattern of financial mismanagement and a failure to uphold basic principles of public financial management.
He warned that such practices could destabilize the country and worsen poverty, describing the administration as “grossly corrupt, incompetent and insensitive.”
Obi also renewed his call for President Bola Tinubu to resign, citing alleged incompetence, unfulfilled campaign promises, and lack of commitment to Nigerians’ welfare and security.
He urged citizens to hold the government accountable through lawful and democratic means.