The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says it is misplacement of priority for the Federal Government to fully fund the presidential fleet while military aircraft languish.
The opposition coalition said this while reacting to a newspaper report on how only about 7 percent of the Nigerian Army’s budget for security equipment was released in 2025.
According to records from the federal government’s Open Treasury Portal, out of the N20.56bn budgeted by the Nigerian Army for the purchase of security equipment, only N1.46bn, representing 7.11%, was disbursed as of December 31, 2025.
The data for the 2026 monthly budget performance has not been posted on the website managed by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while signing the N68.32 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill into law on Friday, extended the implementation of the 2025 budget to June 31, 2026, raising concerns about the government’s continued struggle to fund its expenditures and Nigeria’s mounting debts which hit N159.28trn in December 2025, aside from a fresh $6 billion loan recently approved by the Senate.
Reacting in a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party lamented that, at a time when the nation faces unprecedented security challenges, the Federal Government chose to concentrate resources on the maintenance of the presidential fleet while military aircraft languish due to a lack of funds.
The party described this as an unpardonable misplacement of priority.
The ADC further argued that the underfunding of military equipment and operations significantly explains why the security situation in the country continues to deteriorate, with insurgents and terrorists becoming more emboldened by the day.
The party pointed to the recent abduction of over 400 women and children in Ngoshe, Borno State, where Boko Haram has issued a N5 billion ransom demand and a 72-hour ultimatum, as evidence that the APC government has lost control of the fight against terror.
It also noted that, in the month of April 2026 alone, more than N12 billion has been demanded in ransom by various insurgent groups.
“Even more alarming is that this disclosure comes as Nigerians confront yet another national tragedy. Reports indicate that over 400 women and children abducted in Ngoshe, Borno State are now the subject of a ₦5 billion ransom demand by Boko Haram, with a 72-hour ultimatum and a chilling threat that the victims may be dispersed and never seen again if the government fails to act. This is the painful reality of our country today: a country where terrorists feel bold enough to issue deadlines to the state; a country where hundreds of citizens can be held hostage while the government underfunds the very military meant to protect them.”
“The connection between these two realities is direct. When only a fraction of security funds is released, when nothing is provided for logistics like mobility and fuel, and when equipment procurement is delayed, the result is predictable: a weakened security system. And when the state looks weak, those who threaten it grow stronger, with devastating consequences for ordinary Nigerians.
“Even more troubling is the contrast in priorities. While the military struggles with chronic underfunding, the federal government has reportedly ensured full funding for the luxurious presidential air fleet enjoyed by President Tinubu and his immediate family, even as military aircraft remain grounded due to a lack of resources. This paints a troubling picture of a government that is more concerned with comfort at the top than safety on the ground.
“A government that releases only 7 percent of security equipment funds, and nothing for critical logistics, cannot claim to be serious about winning the war against terror. You cannot starve our brave men and women in uniform of the tools they need and expect them to defeat a determined and well-armed enemy. This is not just a budgeting failure, it is a failure of leadership.
“The consequences are clear. Communities remain exposed. Farmers cannot return to their farms. Businesses continue to operate under fear. And now, hundreds of women and children face an uncertain fate in the hands of terrorists.
“The ADC believes that security funding must be treated as a first-line responsibility. Budgetary allocations must translate into real, timely releases for equipment, logistics, training, and intelligence. Anything less weakens both the morale of our armed forces and the safety of our people.
“Nigeria does not lack resources. What we lack is the discipline to put those resources where they matter most. The ADC stands with the families of those abducted and calls on the federal government to act with urgency, clarity, and resolve to secure their safe return, while addressing the deeper failures that have made such tragedies possible.”
