The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to resign, alleging widespread corruption and fiscal mismanagement under the current administration.

In a statement titled ‘’Grand Corruption: Nigeria’s Greatest Threat” ‘ posted on his X account on Sunday, Obi cited a recent consultation report by the International Monetary Fund, which he claimed revealed that about N8.83 trillion in government expenditure for 2025 was not captured in the national budget.

According to Obi, the expenditure was carried out outside the approved budget framework, placing it beyond legislative oversight and administrative scrutiny. He described the development as alarming and indicative of what he termed a growing pattern of “grand corruption” within the government.

The former Anambra State governor argued that the unbudgeted expenditure represents approximately two per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and more than 35 per cent of the country’s N23.96 trillion capital budget for 2025. He further noted that the amount exceeds the combined allocations to the education and health sectors.

Obi maintained that if properly accounted for and deployed, the funds could have significantly transformed critical sectors of the economy, including healthcare, education and employment generation through the establishment of cottage industries across the country.

He accused the administration of disregarding fundamental principles of public finance management, warning that such practices could undermine national security, weaken state institutions and worsen poverty levels.

Describing the ruling All Progressives Congress administration as “grossly corrupt, incompetent and insensitive,” Obi said recent developments had strengthened his earlier position that Tinubu should step aside over what he described as a failure to deliver on campaign promises and effectively manage the nation’s affairs.

“The recent report from the IMF consultation further raises concerns about the scale of grand corruption under the Tinubu government,” Obi said.

“The IMF now reveals that about N8.83 trillion in expenditure undertaken in 2025 is not reflected in the budget. This expenditure is not budgeted and is therefore not under legislative oversight or administrative scrutiny. This is horrible.”

He added that the amount is larger than the combined budgets for education and health and could have been used to drive meaningful economic development if transparently managed.

Obi concluded by warning that entrenched corruption and the alleged disregard for fiscal accountability pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s stability and future development.