2026 Budget under fire as ₦22.15bn palace projects, worship centre allocations trigger fresh accountability questions

Fresh controversy has erupted over the 2026 Appropriation Act following revelations that billions of naira were allocated to the construction and renovation of royal palaces and places of worship, raising concerns over constitutional compliance, fiscal priorities and public accountability.

Public accountability organisation Tracka disclosed that the Federal Government earmarked ₦22.15 billion for the construction, renovation and furnishing of 106 royal palaces across Nigeria in the 2026 budget.

According to the organisation’s review of the budget, 11 palace projects valued at ₦5.85 billion have no clearly identified locations, making public monitoring and oversight difficult.

Tracka also questioned why 45 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), many without statutory responsibility for such projects, were assigned to execute palace-related interventions.

Among the allocations highlighted were:

₦2.661 billion to the Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan, for the renovation of community halls and palaces in selected Lagos communities.

₦1.54 billion to the Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO) for the modernisation and furnishing of selected national heritage palaces.

₦3.92 billion to the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) for palace-related projects across Ekiti, Kogi, Lagos and Nasarawa states.

₦750 million to the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria for palace projects in Kogi State.

₦700 million to the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOURS) for palace and office projects in Plateau State.

₦560 million to the National Horticultural Research Institute for projects involving Emirs’ palaces in Niger State.

Tracka argued that traditional institutions and community infrastructure constitutionally fall under the responsibilities of state and local governments, questioning the Federal Government’s role in financing such projects amid a ₦31.45 trillion fiscal deficit.

The organisation also criticised the inclusion of palace projects in the budgets of research institutes, scientific agencies and agricultural establishments, warning that the practice raises concerns about constituency projects, budget padding and accountability.

Deputy Speaker defends church allocation

Meanwhile, the Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, defended a controversial budget allocation for churches in Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State.

The controversy followed reports that ₦1 billion was earmarked for the procurement of musical instruments for churches.

However, the Deputy Speaker’s office clarified that the actual value of the intervention is ₦780 million after VAT and statutory deductions.

According to his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, the programme is designed as a youth reorientation and social support initiative to be implemented through faith-based organisations.

The office said more than 130 churches are expected to benefit during the first phase, with each church receiving between ₦5 million and ₦6 million worth of evangelical equipment, including musical instruments and public address systems, to support campaigns against drug abuse, crime and social vices.

The defence came as Tracka also revealed that the 2026 budget contains ₦8.05 billion for places of worship, including ₦1.91 billion for seven churches and ₦6.14 billion for 52 mosque projects.

Financial analyst Kalu Aja criticised the allocation, arguing that the funds would have been better invested in education, healthcare and electricity infrastructure.

Senate moves against defaulting MDAs

The Senate has also intensified oversight of public finances by authorising its Committee on Finance to compel Ministries, Departments and Agencies that repeatedly ignored legislative invitations to account for their financial records.

Committee Chairman Senator Sani Musa alleged that several agencies had failed to honour invitations despite constitutional provisions empowering the National Assembly to investigate public institutions.

He accused some revenue-generating agencies of retaining government revenues instead of remitting them as required by law.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and Senate President Godswill Akpabio backed the move, insisting that the Senate would invoke its constitutional powers to compel compliance.

Earlier, Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno warned that failure to implement an Appropriation Act constitutes a breach of the law and could amount to an impeachable offence.

Monguno questioned why budget implementation remained slow despite improved revenue performance and raised concerns that security agencies had reportedly received no capital releases despite worsening insecurity.

Atiku questions government’s credibility over PFIPC accounts

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar also criticised the Tinubu administration over what he described as conflicting official accounts concerning bank accounts linked to the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

In a statement issued through his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that contradictory positions taken by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) had created a credibility crisis for the administration.

He called on President Bola Tinubu to order an independent investigation and urged the National Assembly to summon both the CBN Governor and the Accountant-General to testify under oath.

According to Atiku, the conflicting explanations over the opening of the PFIPC accounts have deepened public suspicion and raised broader concerns about transparency and institutional accountability.

APC dismisses Atiku’s allegation

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) rejected Atiku’s allegation that the 2026 Service-Wide Vote was designed to finance President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.

In a statement, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka described the allegation as baseless, accusing the former vice president of misunderstanding public finance principles and engaging in political mischief.

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