The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the most incompetent government in Nigeria’s history, citing what it called fiscal confusion and policy inconsistencies.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party accused the federal government of running three national budgets simultaneously while effectively implementing none.
According to the party, reports indicate that the 2024 budget was rolled over into 2025, while capital releases remained extremely low.
The ADC claimed that as of the third quarter of 2025, only 17.7 per cent of the capital budget had been released, while overall implementation was reportedly below 30 per cent.
The party said the situation has resulted in what it described as “historic confusion” in Nigeria’s fiscal management.
“The ADC has noted recent reports that signify utter confusion and a historic level of incompetence in the Tinubu administration’s implementation of national budgets since 2024,” the statement said.
“This is the first time in Nigerian history that any government would be running three budgets at the same time while implementing none.”
The government had reportedly explained the situation as part of a deliberate strategy to ensure the completion of multi-year capital projects.
However, the ADC dismissed the explanation, describing it as misleading.
“This is a blatant falsehood that cannot hold up to any scrutiny,” the party stated.
According to the ADC, about 30 per cent of the 2025 budget is expected to run between February and November 2026, while 70 per cent has been rolled over into the proposed 2026 budget, which is still under consideration by the National Assembly.
The party also criticised what it described as poor funding of critical sectors.
According to the statement, capital budget implementation stands at: 3.6% for the Ministry of Power; 8.9% for Communications Technology; 23.5% for Education; 32.5% for Health.
The ADC argued that these sectors are essential to national development and should not remain underfunded.
“Certainly, no serious government would leave these sectors largely unfunded while select government officials continue to live in obscene opulence in the midst of unprecedented poverty,” the statement added.
The party noted that the only ministry that reportedly exceeded its budget allocation was the Ministry of Defence, which it said reached 113.45 per cent implementation largely due to emergency funding through the Service-Wide Vote.
However, the ADC argued that insecurity has continued to worsen despite the increased spending.
The party claimed that as many as 500 Nigerians may have been killed by terrorists during the Ramadan period in states including Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, and Kebbi.
The ADC further alleged that despite record revenue claims and rising foreign reserves, the government has borrowed more aggressively than previous administrations.
According to the party, contractors remain unpaid and several projects remain stalled.
“This is the reason Nigerians are suffering like never before and asking the most important questions: what is this government doing with all the money that accrues from loans, revenues, and increased taxes?” the statement queried.
The opposition party also accused the administration of policy inconsistency, claiming that at least seven appointments and several policy decisions announced by the government were later reversed after public backlash.
“This is what happens when a government is distracted,” the statement added.
The ADC concluded by accusing the Tinubu administration of prioritising political power and re-election strategies over governance.
According to the party, the government appears more focused on political victories and opposition party membership drives than addressing pressing national challenges such as poverty and insecurity.
“The Tinubu government has proven that to them everything is about politics and power for its own sake,” the statement said.