0
ABUJA – Former vice president and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Federal Government to immediately publish full details of the N8.05 billion reportedly earmarked for church- and mosque-related projects in the 2026 budget, saying Nigerians deserve complete transparency on the use of public funds.
Atiku, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said that while religion remains a vital part of Nigeria’s national life, it must never be used to shield public expenditure from scrutiny.
According to an analysis by the public accountability organisation Tracka, about N1.91 billion was allocated to church-related projects and N6.14 billion to mosque-related projects.
However, Atiku noted that the budget reportedly does not provide sufficient details about many of the beneficiary institutions, project locations, implementing agencies, or the legal basis for the allocations.
He explained that under Nigerian law, churches and mosques typically operate as Incorporated Trustees with distinct legal identities, and therefore any public funds appropriated for projects involving such bodies should be accompanied by clear and verifiable information.
“Unlike roads, schools, hospitals, and other public infrastructure that are usually identified by location and beneficiary, many of these allocations cannot be independently verified because the identities of the beneficiary institutions have not been clearly disclosed,” the statement said.
Atiku stressed that citizens have a constitutional right to know which churches, which mosques, in which communities, and for what specific purposes public funds are being appropriated.
He warned that invoking the sanctity of religion cannot replace the obligation of government to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability.
“Faith must never become a camouflage for opaque budgeting,” he said. “If these projects are genuine and intended to serve the public interest, the presidency should publish the names of every beneficiary institution, disclose every project location, identify the implementing agencies, and provide the legal justification for the allocations.”
The former vice president further cautioned against drawing religious leaders and institutions into what he described as questionable budgeting practices.
“The altar and the minbar are sacred spaces for moral instruction and spiritual guidance, not shelters for fiscal opacity. Government must not compromise the integrity of religious institutions by associating them with expenditures that cannot be openly verified,” he added.
Atiku has, however, urged the Tinubu administration to ensure that any public support for religious or community-based projects is openly identified, lawfully appropriated, transparently executed, and fully subject to public accountability.
