The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s 2026 budget proposal, describing it as a debt-laden framework that could mortgage Nigeria’s future and worsen the country’s fiscal challenges.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party said the proposal reflects what it called growing fiscal recklessness, administrative disorder and a troubling disregard for the welfare of future generations.
Abdullahi dismissed the government’s portrayal of the proposal as a “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” arguing that it represents a continuation of what the party views as failed fiscal policies under the current administration.
According to the ADC, the 2026 budget largely mirrors the structure of the 2024 and 2025 budgets, which it said were poorly implemented or not implemented at all. The party warned that approval of the proposal would only result in higher debt levels and increased economic hardship in the coming years.
The party also questioned the revenue projections contained in the budget, describing them as unrealistic. It noted that federal revenues rose to about N20 trillion in 2024 largely due to currency devaluation, before being projected at N40 trillion in 2025 and further increased to N58.57 trillion in the 2026 proposal.
The ADC raised concerns over the use of a $64-per-barrel oil benchmark, warning that weakening oil output and softening global prices make the assumption risky. It added that the projected N34 trillion revenue target relies on economic conditions that may no longer exist and fails to account for alternative scenarios.