PDP Labels 2026 Budget ‘Disconnected’ From Nigerians’ Economic Reality

The Peoples Democratic Party has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2026 budget presentation, describing it as disconnected from the economic realities faced by most Nigerians.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Party’s Spokesman, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the opposition party said the proposal, which the president themed “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” does not reflect the hardship citizens have experienced since the administration took office.

The PDP argued that while the president told the National Assembly that the economy was stabilising, the lived experience of Nigerians suggests otherwise.

According to the party, “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,” adding that the budget amounts to “a budget of consolidated renewed sufferings.”

Reacting to the president’s claim of a 3.98 per cent GDP growth rate, the party said economic growth figures alone do not translate into improved living standards. It cited global poverty data to argue that a significant portion of Nigerians remain in extreme poverty despite reported growth.

The PDP stated that “there is growth without prosperity for our citizens,” noting that poverty levels remain high even as macroeconomic indicators show expansion.

The opposition party also faulted the administration for failing to clearly identify the sectors driving the reported growth or the beneficiaries. It compared the current growth rate with figures recorded in 2013, when it said the economy grew faster under a previous PDP-led government, driven largely by non-oil sectors such as agriculture and trade.

The party said that celebrating a 3.98 per cent growth rate contrasts sharply with “excruciating hunger, a high cost of living, and other indices of economic hardship” currently confronting Nigerians.

On security spending, the PDP acknowledged allocations made in the 2026 budget but warned that funding alone would not address insecurity. It stressed that “allocation alone is insufficient” and called for transparent and effective execution to ensure improved equipment, intelligence, and welfare for security personnel engaged in ongoing operations.

The party also expressed concern over the president’s admission that the 2024 capital budget had been extended into 2025 while the 2025 budget remains active. According to the PDP, this confirms reports of multiple budgets running concurrently, a practice it said undermines fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability.

The party described the situation as inconsistent with standard budgeting practice, arguing that “no two budgets should operate concurrently.”