2026 budget: ‘Tinubu government now synonymous with fraud’ — Timi Frank

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Timi Frank, has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is now synonymous with fraud over the controversy surrounding the 2026 budget.

He made the allegation in a statement on Wednesday.

Recall that there have been allegations of inflated budget allocations in the 2026 budget.

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, had raised the alarm over the N12.8 trillion allocation for the Service Wide Vote, N8 billion earmarked for churches and mosques, and the controversial N1.3 billion allegedly allocated to a fake ‘Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.’

Reacting, Frank argued that the recurring controversies over government spending had continued to erode public confidence in the administration, insisting that Nigerians were increasingly losing faith in the integrity of those entrusted with public office.

According to him, rather than strengthening accountability and ensuring that public officials implicated in corruption face justice, the administration had allegedly created an atmosphere in which corrupt practices thrive.

“The recent revelations and controversy surrounding the 2026 Federal Budget have further reinforced the widespread perception that this administration represents one of the most troubling governments in Nigeria’s recent history.

“These developments appear to reinforce a pattern in which your administration has become associated with allegations of financial misconduct and questionable governance.

“Rather than strengthening oversight and punishing wrongdoing, your administration is perceived as shielding individuals accused of corruption, thereby creating an environment where public officials believe they can misuse public funds without consequence,” he stated.