The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s ₦58.18 trillion 2026 budget proposal, describing it as a “Budget of Consolidated Renewed Sufferings.” The opposition party said the proposal fails to address the realities of widespread poverty, rising cost of living and persistent insecurity facing Nigerians, despite the Federal Government’s claims of economic stabilisation.
In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesman, Ini Ememobong, the PDP argued that the hardship experienced by Nigerians since the inception of the Tinubu administration contradicts the optimistic picture painted by the president in his budget presentation to the National Assembly.
The party said while Tinubu cited a 3.98 per cent GDP growth rate as evidence of progress, such growth has not translated into improved living standards for ordinary citizens.
The PDP referenced the 2025 World Bank Poverty and Equity Brief, noting that over 30.9 per cent of Nigerians live below the international extreme poverty line. According to the party, this indicates “growth without prosperity,” where economic gains benefit only a small segment of the population. It further faulted the president for failing to clearly outline the sectors driving the reported growth or identify who has benefited from it, comparing the current figures unfavourably with the 6.87 per cent growth recorded in 2013 under a PDP-led government.
On security spending, the PDP called for transparency and accountability in the use of funds allocated to defence, stressing the need for modern equipment, adequate ammunition, improved intelligence and better welfare for security personnel battling heavily armed criminal groups.
The party urged the Federal Government to ensure that budgetary allocations translate into tangible relief for Nigerians, warning that continued hardship could deepen public discontent and erode confidence in governance.
