The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticized the proposed 2025 appropriation bill presented by President Bola Tinubu, urging the National Assembly to reject the budget. According to the opposition party, if the bill is implemented as presented, it would further exacerbate Nigeria’s challenges with insecurity, poverty, and overall hopelessness. The PDP argues that the budget lacks provisions that will benefit the Nigerian populace, and it does not provide the necessary economic reforms needed to uplift the country.
In a statement released on Wednesday, PDP spokesman Debo Ologunagba expressed the party’s dissatisfaction with the budget. He described the President’s budget address as nothing more than “campaign rhetoric laced with unsubstantiated economic statistics.” Ologunagba went on to criticize the government’s economic projections, suggesting that the president’s claims lacked substantial evidence or realistic implementation plans.
President Tinubu had presented a national budget totaling N47.96 trillion for 2025 during his address to the joint session of the National Assembly. He described the budget as a roadmap for Nigeria’s prosperity, stating that it would trigger significant positive changes if implemented as outlined. Tinubu emphasized that the budget would help consolidate key policies and restore stability to various sectors of the economy.
However, Ologunagba and the PDP see it differently. The party claims the budget “made no meaningful provisions” for the key drivers of the national economy, such as industrial development, job creation, and the alleviation of poverty. “The budget sounded more like a campaign rhetoric laced with unsubstantiated economic statistics, false promises, and conjured performance claims without clear-cut operable steps,” Ologunagba said, pointing to the budget’s failure to outline specific actions to address Nigeria’s growing economic and security issues.
The PDP further criticized the proposed budget for failing to address urgent national concerns, particularly in areas that directly affect the daily lives of Nigerians. “President Tinubu dashed the hope of millions of suffering Nigerians who expected him to use the 2025 budget to make strategic provisions that will lead to the reduction in the cost of fuel, food items, electricity tariff, and other essential goods and services,” Ologunagba noted. The party believes that the budget does not offer solutions to these pressing issues.
In response to the budget, the PDP has called on the National Assembly to exercise its constitutional powers and reject the bill in its current form. The party urges lawmakers to activate their legislative authority under Sections 80, 81, and 82 of the 1999 Constitution, which allows the assembly to alter the budget and introduce provisions that are more conducive to the nation’s growth and the welfare of its citizens.
The PDP’s call for the National Assembly to reject the 2025 budget comes at a time when Nigerians are grappling with high inflation, unemployment, and security challenges. The party insists that the government’s current proposals will not alleviate these problems and that a more targeted, realistic approach is necessary for the country’s economic recovery and social well-being.
