Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to provide a detailed explanation for the ₦12.8 trillion allocated to the Service-Wide Vote (SWV) in the 2026 Appropriation Act, describing the provision as a major threat to transparency and fiscal accountability.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the scale of the allocation had raised serious concerns about the credibility of the federal budget and the management of public finances.
He argued that the concentration of a significant portion of the budget in a few Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), particularly the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, undermines openness in public expenditure.
According to Atiku, the Service-Wide Vote increased from ₦638 billion in the 2025 budget to ₦12.8 trillion in the 2026 fiscal plan, representing an increase of about 1,918 per cent within a year.
He said such a sharp rise could not be justified without a comprehensive explanation of the intended use of the funds.
"The President owes Nigerians a clear explanation. A responsible government cannot expect citizens to accept such an extraordinary increase in a budgetary provision that has traditionally lacked transparency without disclosing who will spend the money, what it will be used for and the legal basis for the expenditure," Atiku said.
The former vice president warned that failure by the administration to account for the allocation could fuel public suspicion that the funds were being reserved for political purposes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He also questioned the disparity between personnel allocations to key ministries, noting that while the Federal Ministry of Finance received ₦54.8 billion for personnel costs, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning had a ₦2.19 trillion personnel allocation under the Service-Wide Vote.
"Who are the workers earning ₦2.19 trillion? Where are they employed? Which agencies do they belong to? Nigerians deserve to know who is on this payroll," he said.
Atiku further argued that the amount set aside under the Service-Wide Vote exceeded the combined allocations to critical sectors such as education, defence and agriculture, despite the country's pressing developmental challenges.
He described the budget as one that raises fundamental questions about fiscal discipline and accountability, insisting that every naira appropriated should be traceable to a clearly defined purpose.
The ADC presidential candidate called on the National Assembly to undertake a comprehensive review of all allocations captured under the Service-Wide Vote, particularly the ₦2.19 trillion earmarked for personnel.
He urged lawmakers to demand full disclosure of the beneficiaries, legal justification and implementation framework for every expenditure captured under the budget heading.
According to him, transparency in public finance is essential to restoring public confidence in government and ensuring that scarce national resources are deployed for the benefit of Nigerians rather than hidden behind opaque budgetary provisions.
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