Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Federal Government of concealing ₦12.8 trillion under the Service Wide Vote in the 2026 Appropriation Act, describing the allocation as a threat to transparency and fiscal accountability.
Atiku, who is also the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, noted that the Service Wide Vote increased from ₦638 billion in the 2025 budget to ₦12.8 trillion in 2026, representing a rise of about 1,918 percent.
He questioned the sharp increase, particularly a ₦2.19 trillion personnel allocation under the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, calling for details on the beneficiaries and legal basis for the expenditure.
The former Vice President also expressed concern that the allocation exceeds the combined budgets for education, defence and agriculture, warning that such large unmarked funds require greater public scrutiny.
He called on the National Assembly to conduct a comprehensive investigation into all allocations under the Service Wide Vote and urged the Federal Government to provide full details of the spending provisions.
