Furious Kebbi Senator Maidoki Slams Tinubu's Leadership, Calls Out Budget Failures

Senator Garba Musa Maidoki, representing the Kebbi South Senatorial District of Kebbi State, has launched a scathing critique against President Bola Tinubu's administration. His criticisms primarily focus on poor budget implementation, worsening economic conditions, rising hardship, and what he perceives as a growing disconnect between political leaders and the ordinary citizens of Nigeria. These significant remarks were made on Tuesday, shortly after Maidoki formally announced his defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Maidoki's defection letter was officially read on the floor of the Senate during plenary sessions. In it, he cited unresolved internal disputes and crises within the APC, alongside growing dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership, as the foundational reasons for his departure. He explicitly stated in his letter, "I am writing to inform the President of the Senate and my distinguished colleagues of my defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC)," signaling a clear break from his former party and a commitment to a new political path.

Speaking further with journalists, Senator Maidoki expressed profound concern over the state of the nation’s economy and governance. He strongly insisted that Nigerians are currently enduring severe hardship, directly contradicting any government assurances to the contrary. “If anybody is telling President Tinubu all is well, it’s a lie,” Maidoki declared. He added, “I have utmost respect for him as a nationalist and as a gentleman, but Nigerians are suffering. Nigerians are complaining. As a father, We want him to listen to the voices of Nigerians and bring succour. Whoever tells him otherwise is lying to him.”

The lawmaker intensely questioned the Federal Government’s management of public finances, alleging that annual budgets approved by the National Assembly over the past three years—specifically for 2024, 2025, and 2026—had not been fully or properly implemented. “Three years into Tinubu’s government, 2024, 2025 and now 2026, the budgets have not been implemented. He has never implemented a budget. How does a country run without a budget?” Maidoki forcefully asked, highlighting a critical flaw in the country's governance.

Furthermore, Maidoki raised alarms regarding Nigeria’s escalating debt profile, demanding greater transparency and accountability in the management of both borrowed funds and generated government revenues. He posed sharp questions to the government: “We have borrowed and borrowed and borrowed. Where is the money we are borrowing? All the revenue-generating agencies in this country told us they have exceeded their targets. Where is the money going?” This line of questioning underscored his concerns about fiscal responsibility and the impact on the nation.

Senator Maidoki concluded with a dire warning: if the current economic hardship experienced by many Nigerians remains unaddressed, it could have serious and far-reaching implications for the country’s democratic stability. “We are happy that democracy has not been truncated, but we are afraid that if things continue this way, it will not be the military that truncates democracy; it will be ordinary people on the streets,” he cautioned, suggesting a potential breakdown of social order. His defection is seen as a significant move that contributes to the growing political realignments taking shape across Nigeria, particularly as opposition parties actively seek to attract dissatisfied members from the ruling APC in anticipation of the 2027 general election. Maidoki maintained that his decision was a direct result of both the internal affairs of the APC and his personal desire to pursue his political career under a platform he believes fosters greater democratic participation.