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20th July 2026
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government to provide a detailed explanation regarding the alleged ₦12.8 trillion Service-Wide Vote (SWV) contained in the federal budget.
In a statement, Atiku expressed concern over what he described as the size of the allocation, arguing that Nigerians deserve to know how such a significant amount of public funds is intended to be utilized. He maintained that transparency and accountability are essential principles of democratic governance, particularly at a time when millions of Nigerians are grappling with economic hardship.
The former presidential candidate (under PDP during the 2023 election) questioned the rationale behind the allocation and urged the government to publish a comprehensive breakdown of the expenditure. According to him, public funds should be subject to scrutiny to ensure they are spent in the national interest.
The Service-Wide Vote is a budgetary provision traditionally used by the Federal Government to cater for expenditures that cannot be assigned to a specific ministry, department, or agency during the budget preparation process. It often includes contingency spending, wage adjustments, pensions, emergency interventions, and other government-wide obligations. However, critics have repeatedly argued that the broad nature of the provision makes it vulnerable to abuse if not subjected to rigorous oversight.
Atiku’s remarks have renewed public debate over fiscal transparency, with analysts emphasizing the need for greater legislative oversight and timely disclosure of how Service-Wide Vote allocations are expended.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not issued an official response to Atiku’s concerns.
