The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vehemently criticized the 2025 budget proposal presented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, labeling it “unrealistic, opaque, and insincere.”
The opposition party, in a statement released on Wednesday, condemned the proposed budget as being harmful to ordinary Nigerians, warning that its implementation would exacerbate the nation’s challenges with insecurity, poverty, and economic despair.
Tinubu unveiled the N49.7 trillion budget during a joint session of the National Assembly, with significant allocations for defense and security (N4.91 trillion), infrastructure (N4.06 trillion), health (N2.48 trillion), and education (N3.52 trillion). However, the PDP rejected these figures, accusing the administration of presenting a budget filled with “unverified economic statistics” and “empty campaign promises.”
In its statement, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, described the budget as “anti-people” and expressed concern that its implementation would deepen Nigeria’s existing crises. “If implemented, this budget will further plunge the nation into insecurity, poverty, and hopelessness,” the statement read.
The PDP also took issue with the lack of transparency in the budget, particularly regarding the details of capital and recurrent expenditures. They criticized President Tinubu’s claim of an 85% performance rate for the 2024 budget, questioning the absence of a breakdown between capital and recurrent spending. According to the opposition party, the budget address appeared to be more of a “campaign rhetoric,” replete with “false promises” and “conjured performance claims.”
Particular criticism was directed at President Tinubu’s ambitious projections, including plans to reduce inflation from 34.6% to 15% and improve the Naira’s exchange rate from N1,700 to N1,500 per dollar. The PDP dismissed these claims as “ludicrous,” calling them unrealistic and disconnected from the real economic challenges facing the nation.
The party also accused the Tinubu-led administration of neglecting key sectors such as agriculture, electricity, petroleum, and small and medium-scale enterprises, which are crucial to the country’s economic recovery. They pointed out the government’s failure to make significant investments in the productive sector despite Nigeria’s staggering debt of N134.3 trillion.
In response to the proposed budget, the PDP urged the National Assembly to reject it in its current form, calling on lawmakers to use their constitutional powers to restructure the budget in favor of economic growth and citizens’ welfare. “These projections are nothing more than voodoo economics,” the statement concluded, stressing the need for the budget to address the real needs of Nigerians and prioritize measures for economic recovery and social stability.
The PDP’s strong opposition to the budget comes as the country continues to grapple with deepening economic and security challenges, with citizens increasingly questioning the government’s ability to deliver on its promises.
