Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi has launched a scathing attack on the government following revelations of alleged corruption worth ₦7 trillion in the 2025 national budget.
The Labour Party politician, via a post on X, accused Nigeria’s leadership of turning the country into a “crime scene” after budget transparency organisation BudgIT uncovered what it claims are fraudulent project insertions in the national budget.
“Nigeria remains a relentless scene of corruption,” Mr Obi said in a statement posted on social media. “I have consistently maintained that for this country to make progress, Nigeria must cease to function as a crime scene and be repositioned for genuine development.”
The allegations centre on ₦7 trillion worth of questionable projects allegedly inserted into Nigeria’s 2025 budget – a figure that exceeds the combined allocations to four key government ministries.
According to Mr Obi’s analysis, the fraudulent amount surpasses the total budget for the ministries of Education (₦3.52 trillion), Health (₦2.48 trillion), Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (₦260 billion), and Agriculture and Food Security (₦636.08 billion), which together received ₦6.896 trillion.
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The former Anambra State governor also noted that the alleged fraud exceeds the ₦6.1 trillion allocated to national security, despite Nigeria facing significant security challenges.
“This brazen impunity by our leaders is precisely why the country cannot invest adequately in education – hence the existence of nearly 20 million out-of-school children,” Mr Obi said.
He linked the alleged corruption to Nigeria’s struggling healthcare system, widespread child malnutrition, and inadequate agricultural investment despite widespread hunger across the country.
Mr Obi, who finished third in the 2023 presidential election, said the ₦7 trillion figure “represents only a fraction of the actual amount misappropriated” and called for urgent action to combat corruption and fiscal recklessness.
“We must confront this corruption, misappropriation, and fiscal recklessness with unwavering resolve,” he said. “Our national resources must be transparently managed and strategically invested in key sectors – health, education, and poverty alleviation – to secure a better future for our people.”
BudgIT, the civic organisation that made the allegations, has previously exposed budget irregularities in Nigeria and campaigns for greater transparency in government spending.
The Nigerian government has not yet responded to the allegations.
Mr Obi concluded his statement with his campaign slogan: “A new Nigeria is POssible.”
