Economic analyst Kalu Aja has described the 2025 Federal Budget as a disjointed, uncoordinated document filled with wasteful projects and political insertions, accusing federal lawmakers of hijacking national funds for constituency projects designed to bankroll future elections.
In a detailed post shared via his verified X account on Monday, Aja minced no words in his assessment of the document. “I spent the weekend looking at the approved 2025 Federal Budget,” he wrote. “A complete mess, I am being polite.”
Aja highlighted rampant duplications, unjustified allocations, and questionable spending priorities littered across the budget, including multiple entries for the same project under identical codes.
“For instance, ‘renovation and furnishing of artist hostels in Abuja’ for the Ministry of Arts and Culture is duplicated six times, same amount, same budget code,” he noted.
He described the section under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as reading “like a father Christmas list,” citing examples such as; N800 million for “honorarium and sitting allowance”, N150 million for “supply and furnishing of royal fathers’ homes in Gombe”, Multiple undefined “cash grants to constituents”
“The only reason a Senator will ask to be given N300m as grant but not earmarked to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is because a grant needs less accountability,” Aja wrote. “Senator can give out N10m, pocket N290m and call it a day.”
He also questioned the logic behind ministries operating outside their core responsibilities, referencing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ budget line of N300 million for IDP support in the North East. “Why is the Foreign Ministry spending money to take care of IDPs inside Nigeria?” he asked.
In response to his analysis, a senior aide to a sitting senator, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the budget is being strategically used to grease the wheels for Tinubu’s 2027 reelection bid.
“The news from the top is that as long as you support the President in his reelection bid, you will be given a free ticket to contest,” the aide wrote in a message shared by Aja. “Free here means not just the party ticket but financing as well.”
The aide claimed legislators who fail to secure their own projects risk losing funds to potential challengers who are encouraged to decamp to the ruling party. “This has translated to these constituency projects you are posting about to fund the upcoming elections.”
While attempting to provide context, the aide admitted the process lacked coordination and confirmed that legislators now have significant freedom to nominate projects, select contractors, and distribute federal funds with minimal oversight.
“I personally believe the President will tighten up after reelection, this is a necessary evil,” the aide said.
Aja concluded his post with a damning indictment of the country’s fiscal governance: “Your suffering is locally manufactured, not imported.”
