Peter Obi Demands Tinubu Resignation, after citing an IMF report. This IMF report reveals that N8.83 trillion in government expenditure in 2025 was not reflected in the national budget.
This makes the money outside the legislative oversight and administrative scrutiny. However, the Federal Government has responded to the claims as they dismiss it saying that it’s a misinterpretation of the IMF report.
This matter has three angles, which include Obi’s accusation, the IMF data and the government’s defence. The IMF flag is about reporting gaps, not proven embezzlement, though it raises legitimate questions about oversight that deserve scrutiny.
Peter Obi demand since it is Backed by an IMF Report Cannot be Easily Dismissed
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, demands Tinubu resignation after citing an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report of which according to him, it showed that about N8.83 trillion spent by the Federal Government in 2025 was not reflected in the national budget.
The money is more than the entire combined budgets for education and health in Nigeria for 2025. N3.52 trillion is for education budget while N2.38 trillion is for health budget. According to the statement, Obi alleged that the reported expenditure was not captured in the 2025 budget and therefore fell outside legislative oversight and administrative scrutiny.
Obi said the N8.83 trillion represents about 2% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product GDP more than 35% of the country’s 2025 capital budget of N23.96 trillion thereby exceeding the combined allocations to the education and health sectors in the current fiscal year.
What the IMF Actually Said and What Nigeria’s Government Says It Really Means
During the 2026 Article IV consultations in early July, 2026, the IMF resident representative in Nigeria in person of Christian Ebeke said that about 2% of Nigeria’s GDP in public spending was not recorded in the recent official budgets.
This unreported spending of N8.83 trillion based on 2025 nominal GDP of N441.5 trillion is linked in part to large government projects carried out off-budget. Meanwhile, the IMF report creates a gap between Nigeria’s reported fiscal deficit and actual financing needs which makes the deficit to look smaller than it really was.
The Federal Government described the interpretation by Obi and others as a misrepresentation of the Fund’s report.
The Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, noted that President Tinubu had already asked the National Assembly during the presentation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill on December 19, 2025 to end the practice of operating multiple and overlapping budgets. Tinubu suggested that they should adopt a single harmonised budget framework. This shows that the government itself was aware of the reporting gap before the IMF’s observations became public.
Taiwo Oyedele said multi-year capital projects implemented across different budget cycles and approved capital rollovers are recognised components of public financial management and should not be misconstrued as spending outside the budget.
It is inaccurate to suggest that trillions of naira have been secretly spent outside legislative approval. Such allegations should have identified the specific projects executed without appropriation or legal authority and present credible evidence in support of the claim.
Final Thoughts as Peter Obi Demands Tinubu Resignation
Obi said if such an amount is properly used and accounted for, it could transform Nigeria’s public health and education sectors. It could create hundreds of cottage industries that can provide jobs for thousands of graduates and build a solid foundation for economic development. But this money cannot be accounted for.
The government says the money was legal and within established financial management practices. But Peter Obi says it was grand corruption outside legislative oversight.
Do you think Peter Obi’s demand for Tinubu’s resignation is justified or is he using the IMF report for political gain? Tell us honestly below.
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