Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the Federal Government to disclose full details of the reported ₦8.05 billion earmarked for church- and mosque-related projects in the 2026 Budget, insisting that Nigerians have a right to know how public funds are being spent. In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said religion must never be used as a shield against transparency, noting that an analysis by accountability group Tracka indicated that ₦1.91 billion was allocated to church-related projects and ₦6.14 billion to mosque-related projects. He argued that the budget failed to clearly identify many beneficiary institutions, project locations, implementing agencies and the legal basis for the allocations.
According to Atiku, churches and mosques operate as Incorporated Trustees under Nigerian law and any public funds appropriated for such bodies should be backed by clear, verifiable information. He maintained that Nigerians deserve to know which religious institutions are benefiting, where the projects are located and the specific purpose of each allocation. Warning against using faith to conceal public spending, the former Vice President said the Presidency should immediately publish the names of all beneficiaries, implementing agencies and legal justification for the projects. He also urged the Tinubu administration to ensure that all public support for religious institutions is transparent, lawful and fully accountable to the Nigerian people.
