Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the recent revelation of ₦7 trillion budget fraud in the 2025 federal budget, describing Nigeria as a “relentless scene of corruption.”
Obi made this statement in a press release signed by Ibrahim Umar, the Party’s spokesman.
According to Obi, the staggering amount of questionable projects inserted into the budget is “deeply troubling” and confirms his long-held position that Nigeria has been turned into a “crime scene.” He emphasized that the figure represents only a fraction of the actual amount misappropriated.
The ₦7 trillion, Obi noted, is greater than the combined allocations to key ministries such as Education (₦3.52 trillion), Health (₦2.48 trillion), Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (₦260 billion), and Agriculture (₦636.08 billion). It also surpasses the ₦6.1 trillion allocated to national security.
Obi attributed the country’s inability to invest adequately in critical sectors like education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation to corruption. He cited the alarming number of out-of-school children, malnourished children, and widespread hunger as consequences of fiscal recklessness.
“We must confront this corruption, misappropriation, and fiscal recklessness with unwavering resolve,” Obi urged. “Our national resources must be transparently managed and strategically invested in key sectors—health, education, and poverty alleviation—to secure a better future for our people. We must turn this nation around. A new Nigeria is possible.”
