Obi Renews Call for Tinubu's Resignation, Cites Alleged ₦8.83tn Off-Budget Spending

Presidential candidate Peter Obi on Sunday renewed his call for President Bola Tinubu to resign, citing an IMF disclosure that about ₦8.83 trillion in 2025 government spending went unrecorded in the national budget.

Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate and former Anambra governor, said in a statement that the unreported spending — equal to about two per cent of GDP — escaped legislative oversight and administrative scrutiny.

"The IMF now reveals that about N8.83 trillion in expenditure undertaken in 2025 is not reflected in the budget.

This expenditure is not budgeted and is therefore not under legislative oversight or administrative scrutiny. This is horrible," Obi said.

He said the amount exceeds one-third of Nigeria's 2025 capital budget of ₦23.96 trillion and surpasses the combined 2026 allocations for education and health, arguing the funds could instead have improved healthcare, education, job creation and industrial development.

"This is not an isolated incident. This is a pattern of grand corruption that has become part of this administration," Obi said, adding that disregard for public finance procedures threatens national security and economic stability.

Obi said the disclosure reinforces his earlier resignation demand, which he based on "incompetence, failure to fulfil campaign promises and inability to address insecurity and economic hardship."

"With the daily revelations of pervasive corruption in this administration and its total lack of commitment to the welfare and security of Nigerian citizens, the only reasonable action is for President Tinubu to resign from office," he said, urging Nigerians to lawfully demand greater government accountability.

His comments follow remarks last Wednesday by IMF Resident Representative Christian Ebeke, who said the unrecorded spending made Nigeria's fiscal deficit appear smaller than its actual borrowing requirement.

Obi's statement also comes a day after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar urged the EFCC and ICPC to investigate the alleged off-budget spending.

The Federal Government has since disputed the characterisation of the spending, with Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele saying the expenditures are lawful, disclosed in official fiscal reports and subject to audit.