Former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has expressed concern over reports that the Federal Government earmarked about ₦8.05 billion in the 2026 Budget for church- and mosque-related projects while millions of Nigerians grapple with poverty, deteriorating public services and an unprecedented debt burden.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said that while faith occupies a sacred place in national life, it must never become a sanctuary for opaque budgeting or questionable public expenditure.

According to an analysis by the public accountability organisation, Tracka, about ₦1.91 billion has been allocated to church-related projects and ₦6.14 billion to mosque-related projects. However, he noted that the most fundamental information remains absent.

He argued that under Nigerian law, religious bodies generally operate as Incorporated Trustees with distinct legal identities. Therefore, where public funds are appropriated for projects involving such organisations, Nigerians have a right to know which churches, which mosques and in which communities those projects will be executed.

Unlike roads, schools, hospitals and other public infrastructure that are typically identified by location and beneficiary, Atiku said the allocations reportedly fail to identify many of the specific beneficiary churches and mosques. While some budget line items mention broad locations, he maintained that the identities of many beneficiary worship centres were not disclosed, making independent verification difficult and raising concerns about transparency and accountability.

“Though we tread with profound caution in matters relating to the Almighty so as not to offend the faithful, it is a desecration of faith to commit public funds in God’s name while withholding the information that would enable citizens to verify where their money is going. Government cannot invoke the sanctity of religion to evade the standards of openness required in the management of public resources,” the statement said.

Atiku further accused the Tinubu administration of crossing “a moral red line” by allegedly dragging “the altar and the minbar into the marketplace of opaque budgeting.”

“If these appropriations are genuine, the Presidency should immediately publish the names of every beneficiary institution, every project location, every implementing agency and the legal basis for the allocations. Anything less will reinforce the growing perception that religion is being exploited as a convenient cover for diverting public resources,” he said.

He also urged the Federal Government not to involve religious institutions in what he described as questionable budgetary practices.

“The Tinubu administration must resist the dangerous temptation to drag our priests, pastors, imams and other religious leaders into its budgeting racket. The altar and the minbar are sacred spaces for moral instruction and spiritual guidance, not convenient hiding places for questionable appropriations.

“Government must not seek to stain the integrity of our religious institutions or infect men and women of faith with the leprous fingers of fiscal filth. If there are genuine projects deserving public support, let them be openly identified, lawfully appropriated and transparently executed. The government must keep its leprous fingers of fiscal filth away from the altar and the minbar.”

Atiku concluded by insisting that religion should never be used to shield public spending from scrutiny.

“God is not a laundering machine for public funds. The Tinubu administration has no moral or legal licence to hide behind the altar, the minbar or the sacred robes of our priests and imams to mask questionable appropriations.

“If these projects are genuine, publish the names of every beneficiary institution, disclose every project location and execute every project in full public view. The government must keep its leprous fingers of fiscal filth away from our sacred institutions. Faith must never become a camouflage for budgeting by concealment.” (The Guardian)

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