NASS, FG Owe Nigerians Explanation Over ₦6trn Padding in 2025 Budget – Baba-Ahmed

A former Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Affairs, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has stated that the National Assembly, NASS, and the Federal Government owe Nigerians an explanation regarding the ₦6.93 trillion allegedly padded into the 2025 budget.

A non-governmental civic and transparency organisation, BudgIT Nigeria, alleged that the 10th National Assembly (NASS) inserted 11,122 projects worth ₦6.93 trillion in the 2025 budget.

BudgIT said analysis showed that 238 projects valued above ₦5 billion each, with a cumulative value of ₦2 trillion, were inserted with little to no justification.

According to BudgIT, 984 projects worth ₦1.71 trillion and 1,119 projects within the range of ₦500 million to ₦1 billion, totaling ₦641.38 billion, were indiscriminately inserted.

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The report published on Tuesday stated that a closer look showed that 3,573 projects worth ₦653.19 billion were assigned directly to federal constituencies and 1,972 projects worth ₦444.04 billion to senatorial districts.

In his reaction to BudgIT’s report, Baba-Ahmed said NASS and the Presidency have to explain to Nigerians how trillions were inserted into the budget.

He also advised the federal government to sue BudgIT if it claims the latter’s report was false.

NASS and the Presidency should sue BudgIT for reporting the insertion of #Trillions into the 2025 budget if its claim amounts to falsehood. The alternative suggests acceptance the genuineness of the published findings. In any case, govt owes Nigerians an explanation.

— Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed. (@baba_hakeem) May 22, 2025

“NASS and the Presidency should sue BudgIT for reporting the insertion of trillions into the 2025 budget if its claim amounts to falsehood. The alternative suggests accepting the genuineness of the published findings. In any case, govt owes Nigerians an explanation,” he wrote on his 𝕏 handle on Thursday.