In a forceful political response to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presentation of the ₦58.47 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill, Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has described the fiscal blueprint as a “Budget of Consolidated Renewed Sufferings” that entrenches economic hardship, deepens poverty, and showcases what the party calls the federal government’s failure to deliver prosperity for ordinary citizens.
President Tinubu presented the 2026 budget, officially titled the “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” to a joint session of the National Assembly last week, highlighting investments in security, infrastructure, and human capital as pillars of national development. The budget assumes a crude oil benchmark price of US $64.85 per barrel, daily production of 1.84 million barrels, and an exchange rate of ₦1,400 to the US dollar as key macroeconomic parameters.
Reacting in a statement signed by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the opposition party rejected the government’s narrative of stabilisation and shared prosperity, arguing instead that economic gains touted by the administration have not translated into tangible improvements in living standards for the majority of Nigerians. “We see it rather as a budget of consolidated renewed sufferings, because what Nigerians have witnessed since the birth of this administration is nothing but unmitigated hardship on the people, while the governing class relishes in affluence,” the PDP statement fumed.
The PDP’s critique targeted several core aspects of the budget and the broader economic environment:
Growth Without Prosperity: The party dismissed the government’s emphasis on a 3.98 percent GDP growth rate, insisting that economic growth alone without inclusiveness fails to reduce poverty or improve living conditions. Referencing the 2025 World Bank Poverty and Equity Brief, the PDP highlighted that over 30.9 percent of Nigerians live below the international extreme poverty line, a statistic they say reflects “growth without prosperity” for the average citizen.
Comparative Economic Performance: Ememobong contrasted the current growth figure with the 6.87 percent growth recorded in 2013 under the previous PDP administration, noting that past expansion was driven by vibrant non-oil sectors such as agriculture and trade — sectors the party claims have been neglected in recent years.
Security Allocation and Effectiveness: While acknowledging that defence and security received significant budgetary allocation, PDP stressed that funding alone will not resolve Nigeria’s deepening insecurity. The party called for transparent and effective utilisation of resources to procure modern equipment, improve intelligence capabilities, ensure adequate ammunition, and enhance welfare for security personnel engaged across multiple conflict zones.
Multiple Budgets and Fiscal Discipline: Another point of contention cited by the PDP was President Tinubu’s admission that the 2024 capital budget’s execution had been extended into December 2025 while the 2025 budget remained in force, a situation that the party said confirmed ongoing operation of multiple budgets simultaneously — a practice it condemned as undermining fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability. “No two budgets should operate concurrently,” the PDP remarked, warning that this “unprecedented negative feat” weakens public trust in governance and financial management.
Call for Transparency: The opposition concluded its response by urging greater openness in public financial administration, arguing that transparency and accountability are critical for rebuilding public confidence and ensuring that budgetary promises yield real socioeconomic benefits for Nigerians.
The PDP’s critique signals rising political tensions as Nigeria grapples with pressing challenges including high inflation, unemployment, insecurity, and widespread poverty. With legislative scrutiny of the 2026 Appropriation Bill underway, debates over fiscal priorities and economic strategy are expected to intensify in the weeks ahead.