NDC: Tinubu Spends Big on Campaign Propaganda, Neglects Security, Health Budgets

* Opposition party questions release of only 7% of 2025 defence capital allocation

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja 

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of prioritising campaign propaganda, political advertisements and patronage over critical national development needs.

The opposition party argued that the government’s spending priorities explain the persistent underfunding of essential sectors of the economy.

The opposition party alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and groups claiming to support Tinubu’s re-election were committing enormous financial resources to political publicity, donations and distribution of gifts.

The National Campaign Council Spokesperson of the party, Dr. Chiogo Constance Ikokwu, made the allegations in a statement issued Sunday.

The NDC claimed that critical sectors such as defence, healthcare, education and infrastructure remained inadequately funded.

The party, which described the situation as a disturbing reflection of the administration’s misplaced priorities, challenged the Federal Government to publish verifiable figures showing the actual releases for capital projects and administrative subventions in 2024, 2025 and 2026, alongside its expenditure on political publicity and patronage.

The NDC statement questioned how an administration benefiting from the removal of fuel subsidy and increased taxation could continue to plead paucity of funds for essential public services.

Ikokwu said the party had observed an avalanche of political advertisements, donations and gifts, including vehicles, laptops, sewing machines, food items and other forms of largesse distributed by different groups and individuals claiming to be acting in support of Tinubu’s mandate.

According to her, the scale of such political activities raises serious questions about the government’s priorities, particularly against the background of inadequate funding for national security, healthcare and other essential services.

Part of the statement read: “Nigerians are naturally wondering how an administration with so much money from removal of fuel subsidy accruals and high taxation has jettisoned funding critical social and physical infrastructure, as well as the welfare of the greatest number of Nigerians.

“At the same time, the APC has devoted humongous money to campaign publicity and political patronage.”

The NDC spokesperson cited what she described as disturbing figures from the 2025 budget implementation, particularly the alleged poor release of funds allocated to defence and healthcare capital expenditure.

She said that despite the worsening security challenges confronting the country, only about seven per cent of the Defence Capital Budget was reportedly released in 2025.

Ikokwu also expressed concern over the reported release of only N36 million out of the N218 billion allocated to health capital expenditure in the same fiscal year.

“Even more disturbing was when the Minister of Health reported that only N36 million out of the N218 billion allocated to Health Capital expenditure was released in the same 2025,” she said.

She argued that the figures illustrated the extent of the government’s alleged failure to translate budgetary allocations into actual funding for critical public services.

The opposition party also extended its criticism to state governments, alleging that several administrations, particularly those it claimed had been pressured into joining the APC, were equally demonstrating poor commitment to budget implementation while allegedly making resources available for political campaigns.

“Most worrisome is that most state governments, especially those coerced into APC, have scant records of budget funding like their master, but have surplus for campaign propaganda,” she alleged.

The NDC further questioned the rationale behind the Federal Government’s repeated borrowing requests amid what it described as extravagant expenditure on political activities.

It asked how an administration benefiting from increased revenue following the removal of fuel subsidy and imposing higher taxes could continue to cite financial constraints when confronted with demands for improved security, healthcare, education, federal roads and social welfare.

Ikokwu maintained that the government’s alleged failure to adequately fund critical sectors, coupled with deteriorating infrastructure and poor governance, was contributing to the growing political tension in the country.

She linked the situation to what the party described as increasing incidents of political intimidation and violence ahead of the January 2027 general election.

According to her, such developments were capable of discouraging voters from participating in the electoral process, thereby undermining democratic competition and the credibility of the forthcoming elections.

“The NDC warns that no amount of propaganda, political patronage or intimidation can permanently conceal the consequences of poor governance,” she said.

The party’s spokesperson, however, projected the NDC as an alternative, promising that an administration led by its presidential ticket, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, would prioritise accountability, public service delivery and productive investment.

“The Obi/Kwankwaso administration will be accountable; will fund public services and move the country from consumption to production,” she declared.

The party consequently challenged the Tinubu administration to provide a comprehensive account of its budget implementation over the past three fiscal years, particularly the amounts released for critical capital projects and administrative subventions.

It also demanded that the government demonstrate, with verifiable figures, how much public resources had been committed to political publicity and patronage by various groups and individuals purportedly campaigning for the president.

The NDC said transparency over budget implementation had become necessary to reassure Nigerians that public resources were being deployed in accordance with national priorities rather than partisan political interests.