Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the allocation of ₦1.08 trillion to the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, Enugu State, in the 2026 Appropriation Act, describing it as a disturbing example of budget distortion.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku cited an independent analysis of the budget by civic technology organisation, Tracka, which alleged that the college was allocated the funds to execute 2,791 capital projects across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He commended Tracka for uncovering what he described as one of the most troubling aspects of the 2026 budget.
According to Atiku, the revelations come at a time when the Federal Government is asking Nigerians to endure the effects of economic reforms, increased taxes and rising public debt in the name of fiscal discipline.
“Nothing exposes the hollowness of that claim more than a budget that turns a federal cooperative college into one of Nigeria’s largest project-implementing agencies,” he said.
The former vice president argued that assigning such a massive portfolio of projects to an institution established primarily for cooperative education raises serious questions about the credibility of the 2026 budget.
He questioned how a college could be saddled with responsibilities that include the execution of roads, drainage systems, solar streetlights, markets, football pitches, dialysis centres, ambulances, water schemes, recycling plants, empowerment programmes and thousands of other projects nationwide.
“Who decided that a cooperative college should become one of Nigeria’s biggest ministries by stealth? Under what law was it transformed into the implementing agency for 2,791 projects? Who nominated these projects, who approved them, who will supervise them, and who will be held accountable?” he asked.
Atiku maintained that the disclosures undermine the Tinubu administration’s claim of prudent financial management.
He alleged that the budget reflects a system where public funds are managed without sufficient transparency and accountability.
“A government that says there is no money, removes fuel subsidy, raises taxes, accumulates unprecedented debt and demands endless sacrifices from Nigerians cannot simultaneously operate a budget that appears designed to hide public spending behind institutions with neither the statutory mandate nor the institutional capacity to execute projects of this magnitude,” he said.
He further argued that a government allocating ₦1.08 trillion through a federal cooperative college could not credibly claim to be promoting fiscal discipline or reducing waste.
“It looks less like governance and more like a blueprint to defraud Nigerians,” Atiku stated.
