2025 Budget Will Deepen Poverty, Insecurity – PDP

 

• Slams N47.9tn 2025 Budget as Hopeless and Anti-People

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticized the proposed N47.9 trillion federal budget for 2025, describing it as "anti-people, hopeless, and disingenuous." 

According to the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, the budget, as presented by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the National Assembly, lacks meaningful provisions to address Nigeria's pressing economic and social challenges.

“This budget further confirms the insensitivity of the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration towards the plight of Nigerians. It neglects critical sectors like agriculture, food production, electricity, petroleum, and gas, as well as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which are key drivers of the economy,” Ologunagba said.

The PDP argued that President Tinubu’s budget address was filled with campaign-like rhetoric, lacking tangible steps to address insecurity, revamp industries, or reduce the cost of living. The statement further read, “President Tinubu dashed the hope of millions of suffering Nigerians who expected strategic provisions to reduce the cost of fuel, food, electricity, and essential goods and services.”

The party also criticized the President's claim of 85% performance for the 2024 budget, describing it as bogus due to the lack of a breakdown between recurrent and capital expenditures. It expressed dismay over the administration's economic performance claims, stating, “President Tinubu’s assertion that the economy improved under his watch is a gross misrepresentation. Nigerians are enduring acute poverty, collapsed infrastructure, and alarming inflation and unemployment rates validated by official figures.”

Ologunagba condemned what he termed “voodoo economy claims” that the 2025 budget would reduce inflation from 34.6% to 15% and improve the value of the Naira from approximately N1,700 to the Dollar to N1,500 without clear indices for productive investment. “This is ludicrous, especially in the face of a staggering N134.3 trillion debt accumulated under the APC’s watch,” he added.

Highlighting the N13 trillion budget deficit, the PDP raised concerns about its funding through taxes and levies, which would further burden already impoverished citizens and struggling businesses. “The proposed budget will shrink the national business environment, discourage investments, worsen unemployment, and plunge millions more into abject poverty,” Ologunagba warned.

The PDP called on the National Assembly to reject the 2025 budget as presented and exercise its constitutional powers under Sections 80, 81, and 82 of the 1999 Constitution to amend and reposition the budget for the benefit of Nigerians.

“The National Assembly must ensure that the budget includes provisions critical to economic growth and citizen welfare. Passing this budget in its current form will only heighten insecurity, deepen poverty, and derail the nation’s development,” the PDP spokesperson said.

The statement concluded with the PDP’s commitment to standing with Nigerians during what it described as a difficult period.