Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Federal Government over reports that about N8.05 billion was earmarked in the 2026 budget for church- and mosque-related projects, calling for full disclosure of the beneficiaries and implementation details.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice-president said the allocations raise serious concerns at a time when millions of Nigerians are battling poverty, deteriorating public services and a growing debt burden.
According to an analysis by public accountability organisation Tracka, the 2026 budget allocates about N1.91 billion to church-related projects and N6.14 billion to mosque-related projects.
While acknowledging the important role of religion in national life, Atiku insisted that faith should never be used to shield public spending from scrutiny or accountability.
He noted that under Nigerian law, churches and mosques generally operate as Incorporated Trustees with distinct legal identities, arguing that Nigerians have a right to know the specific religious institutions and communities that stand to benefit from the appropriations.
“If public funds are appropriated for projects involving such bodies, Nigerians have a right to know exactly which churches, which mosques, and in which communities those projects will be executed,” he said.
Atiku argued that unlike public infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals, which are typically identified by location and beneficiaries, many of the budget provisions for religious projects reportedly do not clearly identify the beneficiary churches or mosques.
“While some line items mention broad locations, the budget does not sufficiently disclose the identities of many beneficiary worship centres, making independent verification difficult and raising legitimate concerns about transparency and accountability,” he stated.
The former vice-president warned against using religion as a shield for opaque public expenditure, saying transparency should remain the standard for the management of public resources.
“Though we tread with profound meticulousness in matters that relate to the Almighty, so as not to attract spiritual jabs from the overly sensitive 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 demanded in the management of public resources. The Tinubu administration has crossed the moral red line by dragging the altar and the minbar into the marketplace of opaque budgeting,” he said.
Atiku called on the Presidency to immediately publish the names of all beneficiary churches and mosques, the locations of the projects, the implementing agencies and the legal basis for the allocations.
“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 further urged the Federal Government not to involve religious leaders or 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,” Atiku added.
