Nigeria may resort to additional borrowing to finance its 2026 budget as lawmakers and fiscal experts raise concerns over a widening deficit and weak revenue performance.

At a public hearing on the 2026 Appropriation Bill in Abuja, the Senate disclosed that the proposed budget of N58.47 trillion is set against projected revenue of N33.19 trillion, leaving a deficit of about N25.27 trillion.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Solomon Adeola, said borrowing remains unavoidable given the country’s development needs and uncertain revenue inflows, but stressed that fiscal discipline and responsible debt management would be prioritised.

He added that debt servicing alone is expected to gulp about N15.90 trillion, underscoring the growing pressure on public finances.

Adeola warned that the National Assembly would intensify scrutiny of government spending, particularly service-wide votes, and insisted that future budgets would no longer be extended beyond December of any fiscal year due to poor implementation and abandoned projects.

He also emphasised the need for ministries, departments and agencies to improve cooperation with oversight bodies to ensure transparency, accountability and efficient use of public funds.

Meanwhile, concerns over poor budget implementation resurfaced as the Minister of Health, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, revealed that his ministry received only N36 million out of the N218 billion appropriated for its 2025 capital expenditure.

According to him, the limited release of funds severely affected the execution of capital projects, despite the full utilisation of personnel allocations.

Pate attributed the funding gaps to cash planning constraints and delays in releasing counterpart funds, which prevented access to donor-supported projects.

He explained that the health sector’s planning framework aligns with national development strategies and prioritises Universal Health Coverage, particularly through the strengthening of primary healthcare services.

The minister said the 2026 health budget proposal was prepared in line with the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and processed through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System to ensure needs-based allocation.

Lawmakers also highlighted concerns about inefficiencies in public spending, pointing to the electricity sector as a major financial burden that requires urgent structural reforms.

The House Committee on Healthcare Services, led by Amos Magaji, directed the health ministry to provide detailed records of donor funds received and how they were utilised as part of ongoing oversight efforts.

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has asserted that the majority of Nigeria’s elected officials would lose their positions if elections were conducted in a truly transparent manner.

Sowore made the remark while reacting to the ongoing debate surrounding recent amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly the provision allowing both electronic transmission and manual collation of election results.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, he argued that resistance to full electoral transparency stems from fear among political officeholders that credible elections could threaten their seats.

According to him, claims that poor internet connectivity necessitates manual collation are unfounded and merely serve as justification to retain loopholes in the electoral process.

He maintained that if transparency is fully enforced, as much as 90 per cent of lawmakers and other elected officials may not return to office.

The activist also criticised the Senate’s decision to retain manual collation as a backup option, describing it as a calculated move that could allow a return to practices that undermine public confidence in elections.

Sowore further expressed dissatisfaction with the Independent National Electoral Commission’s IREV system, which he described as outdated, and called for Nigeria to adopt a full electronic voting system.

Drawing comparisons with India, he noted that the country successfully manages elections involving hundreds of millions of voters through electronic voting, with minimal post-election disputes.

He added that if Nigerians can conduct sensitive financial transactions electronically, the country should also be able to implement secure electronic voting that allows citizens to cast their ballots remotely.

President Bola Tinubu has formally forwarded the nomination of former Kebbi State Governor, Usman Dakingari, to the Senate for confirmation as an ambassador, just two weeks after the initial nomination was withdrawn amid controversy.

The submission was conveyed in a letter read on the Senate floor on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Tinubu stated that the appointment was made pursuant to Section 171, subsections (1), (2)(c), and (4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), urging the Senate to consider the nomination expeditiously.

The presidential letter read in part, “Distinguished Senate President, request for the confirmation of a career ambassador. I am pleased to present for confirmation by the Senate the appointment of Usman Dakingari as career ambassador.

“Whilst I hope that the Senate will consider and confirm the nominee expeditiously, please accept the assurances of my highest regards.”

Following the reading, Akpabio referred the nomination to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for screening, instructing the panel to report back within one week.

During deliberations, senators clarified that Dakingari’s nomination is for a non-career ambassadorial role, despite the presidential letter’s wording suggesting a career posting.

Lawmakers noted that his political background aligns more with a political appointment than a professional foreign service position, and the screening will reflect this distinction.

The nomination forms part of the Tinubu administration’s broader effort to fill vacant diplomatic positions and strengthen Nigeria’s representation in key foreign missions, many of which have remained unoccupied since the government transition.

Dakingari was previously listed in January as an ambassador-designate to Turkey, but his name was later withdrawn following debates in political and diplomatic circles.

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has cautioned that the African Democratic Congress may face difficulty persuading voters in southern Nigeria if it presents a northern presidential candidate in the next general election.

Amaechi gave the warning while speaking in Kano, where he responded to questions about his support for whoever emerges as the party’s flagbearer.

He affirmed his loyalty to the ADC but stressed the need for strategic decision-making to improve the party’s national acceptance and electoral prospects.

According to him, the party must carefully evaluate key factors such as competence, generational considerations, and prevailing political dynamics before settling for a candidate.

He noted that the current power rotation sentiment in the country favours the South, and ignoring it could complicate the party’s outreach in the region.

Amaechi argued that recognising this political reality would make it easier for southern politicians and voters to rally behind the party.

He warned that presenting a northern candidate at a time when many southerners believe power should remain in the South could weaken the ADC’s appeal and create resistance.

Despite these concerns, the former Rivers State governor reiterated his commitment to party unity, pledging to support whoever emerges as the presidential candidate at the primaries, regardless of region.

Amaechi, who has already indicated interest in contesting the ADC presidential ticket, had earlier proposed a single four-year tenure if elected, to allow a return of power to the North in line with the country’s informal zoning arrangement.

Similarly, former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, now aligned with the ADC, has also expressed willingness to serve a single term if given the opportunity, citing respect for the rotational principle.

Amaechi’s remarks come amid ongoing debate within the party over zoning.

Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai recently reiterated opposition to zoning the presidential ticket, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also maintained that the ADC’s nomination should remain open to aspirants from all regions.

The differing positions highlight the internal consultations and strategic calculations underway within the ADC as it prepares for the next presidential contest.

A fresh leadership crisis has erupted within the Labour Party following the announcement by the Julius Abure-led faction that it has regained control of the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, barely 24 hours after the Nenadi Usman-led caretaker committee assumed authority over the facility.

The Abure camp disclosed this in a statement issued Tuesday night by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, who confirmed that the headquarters, earlier taken over by the rival group, had been reclaimed.

He alleged that the initial occupation of the premises was carried out unlawfully.

Photographs released alongside the statement showed banners and billboards bearing the image of caretaker committee chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, being removed from the premises.

According to Ifoh, the party leadership acted after determining that the takeover involving the Usman group and the Abia State Deputy Governor was illegal and unauthorised.

He added that the party would conduct an inventory of losses allegedly incurred during the incident and pursue legal action where necessary.

The faction also warned against further attempts to undermine what it described as the lawful leadership of the party and urged rival groups to await the final determination of the dispute by appellate courts.

Party activities, it said, would resume at the national secretariat from Wednesday.

However, the caretaker committee rejected the development.

Senator Nenadi Usman, through her Senior Special Adviser on Media, Ken Asogwa, expressed shock and insisted that the Abure faction was acting in defiance of a subsisting court judgment.

She maintained that a valid ruling had already declared Abure’s tenure as national chairman expired and authorised the caretaker committee to oversee party affairs, including operations at the secretariat.

Usman argued that her group’s earlier takeover of the facility was conducted openly and lawfully, questioning the circumstances under which the Abure faction reportedly returned to the premises.

The latest confrontation comes shortly after Usman, accompanied by Abia State Deputy Governor Ikechukwu Emetu, took control of the party’s Utako headquarters under heavy security presence.

Armed policemen were stationed within and around the complex, with party members and journalists subjected to strict screening.

Sources indicated that the caretaker committee had begun moves to extend its control to state secretariats nationwide.

The dispute follows a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja which held that Abure’s tenure as national chairman had lapsed and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise a caretaker committee led by Usman pending a national convention.

INEC subsequently updated its records to reflect the change in leadership.

Despite challenging the ruling and filing an appeal, Abure has continued to reject the decision, describing the caretaker arrangement as unlawful and vowing to resist attempts to remove his leadership.

The unfolding developments underscore the deepening internal divisions within the Labour Party, which have persisted since the aftermath of the 2023 general elections and continue to play out through parallel leadership claims and legal battles.