Budget Padding Allegation: Tinubu denies, says those criticising don’t understand its arithmetic

President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, break silence on the allegation of budget padding by Senator Abdul Ningi from Bauchi State, and concluded that those alleging malicious embellishment of the 2024 financial estimate don’t understand its arithmetic.

Tinubu said he knew the arithmetic of the numbers that he brought to the Senate, when he presented the 2024 budget and also knew what he got back, when it was passed.

The president addressed the lingering allegation of budget padding for the first time since the news broke while speaking at a special Iftar with the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and other senators at the State House, Abuja.

“I know the arithmetic of the budget and the numbers that I brought to the National Assembly, and I know what numbers came back. I appreciate all of you for the expeditious handling of the budget. Thank you very much.

“Those who are talking about malicious embellishment in the budget; they did not understand the arithmetic and did not refer to the baseline of what I brought. But your integrity is intact.

The president, however, assured Nigerians that the current security and economic challenges facing the country would soon become a thing of the past, confident the nation would surmount her challenges.

Appreciating the Senate for its works, particularly the passage of the Students Loan Bill, the president told the leadership of the Senate that the integrity of the National Assembly must remain intact and that his administration would always encourage cooperation for the advancement of the nation.

“I am grateful for what you have been doing. The natural challenge we are facing will be over. On the current economic difficulty, we are about turning the corner.

“Our revenue has improved. All we have to do is to control expenditure and manage ourselves better. Light is at the end of the tunnel, and Nigerians will soon smile again,” the President affirmed.

Reechoing his position that challenges would not defeat Nigeria, he said, “The challenges of insecurity will be over, they can’t defeat us, we have to rescue our country.

“It’s in this freedom and strong determination that we believe we can bring about prosperity to everyone of us. We’re entitled to it and definitely, I assure you, you will partake in the essence of the prosperity.”