The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has described Nigeria’s budget as the personal Automated Teller machine (ATM) for the ruling elites in the country.

The 2025 Nigerian federal budget, signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on February 28, 2025, was heralded as the “Budget of Restoration,” with a total expenditure of N54.99 trillion aimed at addressing critical sectors like security, infrastructure, health, and education.

However, CUPP expressed shock over the revelation by BudgIT, a civil society organization focused on transparency and accountability, that the National Assembly inserted 11,122 projects worth N6.93 trillion into the budget, representing 12.61% of the total approved amount.

CUPP’s National Secretary, Chief Peter Ameh, in a statement, argued that the unprecedented level of budget padding raises serious concerns about corruption, wasteful government spending, and the National Assembly’s failure to uphold its constitutional mandate of oversight and reform.

CUPP contended that such actions not only undermine fiscal responsibility but also place an unnecessary financial burden on Nigerians, exacerbating the nation’s economic challenges.

CUPP insist on the need for systemic reforms to restore accountability and good governance.

CUPP observed that by inserting thousands of projects worth trillions of naira without transparency or justification, lawmakers have turned the budget into what some critics describe as a personal ATM” for the political elite.

This, it noted is evident in the allocation of N344.85 billion to lawmakers for constituency projects in 2025, up from N197.93 billion in 2024, while social welfare programs for struggling Nigerians received a comparatively meager N723.68 billion.

According to CUPP, such skewed priorities exacerbate inequality and erode public trust in governance, as citizens grapple with soaring food inflation (21.26% in April 2025) and a cost-of-living crisis.

“The implications of this budget padding are far-reaching. First, it fuels corruption by creating loopholes for mismanagement and embezzlement. Projects inserted without proper planning or oversight are often poorly executed, abandoned, or used as conduits for siphoning public funds,” it noted.

“For example, the allocation of N393.29 billion for 1,477 streetlight projects and N505.79 billion for 2,122 ICT projects raises questions about their necessity and feasibility, given the lack of evidence-based planning.

“Second, it places an unsustainable financial burden on the government. The 2025 budget already includes a fiscal deficit of N13.8 trillion, to be financed through borrowing, adding to Nigeria’s public debt stock of N97.34 trillion as of December 2023. Padding the budget with unnecessary projects increases this debt burden, raises interest rates, and crowds out private-sector borrowing, stifling economic growth and job creation.

“Finally, it undermines public confidence in governance, as citizens perceive a system rigged against their interests—a sentiment echoed in a 2023 Chatham House survey highlighting a crisis of trust in Nigeria’s institutions due to entrenched corruption.

“The National Assembly’s failure to exercise proper oversight and enact reforms exacerbates these issues. Rather than strengthening transparency and accountability mechanisms, lawmakers have prioritized self-interest, as seen in the bloated allocations to their own offices.”

CUPP asserted that the silence from the Presidency and the Budget Office in response to BudgIT’s findings further underscores the lack of accountability adding Nigeria’s participation in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) since 2016, which includes commitments to fiscal transparency and public participation in budgeting, has yielded limited results due to weak institutional enforcement.

It further alleged that the National Assembly has also failed to address systemic issues like the opaque “service-wide votes,” which surged to N4.41 trillion in the 2024 budget, containing vague budget lines like N108 billion for “special projects” that create opportunities for impropriety adding these lapses highlight the need for legislative reforms to enforce stricter oversight, limit discretionary insertions, and ensure budget allocations align with national priorities.

It added: “We need to address this issues in order to be able to address the economic crisis, Nigeria must discussion around this reforms so that we can restore fiscal responsibility and accountability. First, the National Assembly should establish clear guidelines for constituency projects, subjecting them to rigorous scrutiny and public consultation to prevent abuse.

“Transferring oversight of these projects to an independent body, as suggested by some commentators, could reduce political interference. Second, the Government must strengthen anti-corruption institutions like the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ensuring they operate independently and have the authority to investigate budget-related malfeasance.

“Third, digital tools and open data initiatives, as recommended by Chatham House, can enhance transparency by making budget details accessible to citizens and enabling real-time monitoring of expenditures. Finally, the National Assembly must recommit to its constitutional role by enacting laws that promote evidence-based budgeting, curb wasteful spending, and prioritize sectors critical to Nigeria’s development, such as agriculture and infrastructure, which have been hampered by insecurity and underfunding.

“The insertion of N6.93 trillion in unjustified projects into Nigeria’s 2025 budget is a glaring example of budget padding that fuels corruption, wastes public resources, and burdens the economy. The National Assembly’s failure to uphold its oversight responsibilities and enact necessary reforms has allowed this practice to persist, undermining good governance and public trust. As Nigeria grapples with economic challenges, including high inflation and a growing debt crisis, the need for transparency, accountability, and fiscal discipline has never been more urgent.

“By implementing robust reforms and prioritizing the public interest, the National Assembly can restore its credibility and ensure that the 2025 budget truly serves as a tool for economic restoration, rather than a vehicle for waste and corruption. The time for action is now—Nigerians deserve a government that honors its promise of prosperity and opportunity for all.”