Atiku Abubakar Raises Alarm Over N8.05bn Allocation for Worship Centres

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed deep concern over the allocation of N8.05 billion in the 2026 Budget for projects related to churches and mosques. This development has sparked controversy, especially given the country's current economic challenges, including widespread poverty and a significant debt burden. According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku emphasized that while faith plays a vital role in the nation's life, it should not be used as a cover for opaque budgeting or questionable public expenditure. An analysis by the public accountability organisation, Tracka, revealed that about N1.91 billion has been allocated for church-related projects, while N6.14 billion is earmarked for mosque-related projects. Atiku pointed out that despite these allocations, crucial information regarding the specific projects and their locations remains unclear. He noted that under Nigerian law, religious bodies operate as Incorporated Trustees with distinct legal identities, and therefore, if public funds are allocated for projects involving these bodies, Nigerians have the right to know the details of such projects. Atiku criticized the lack of transparency in the budget, stating that it fails to identify many of the specific beneficiary churches and mosques, making independent verification difficult. He stressed that government cannot use the sanctity of religion to evade the standards of openness required in the management of public resources. Atiku called on the Tinubu administration to publish the names of every beneficiary institution, project location, implementing agency, and the legal basis for the allocations to ensure transparency and accountability.