The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has strongly criticized Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa over the recently signed 2025 state budget, describing it as a “budget of looting” due to what it calls extravagant and dubious allocations.
Governor Aiyedatiwa signed the N698.6 billion budget into law just a week after its passage by the state House of Assembly. The budget allocates N265.04 billion for recurrent expenditure and N433.62 billion for capital projects. However, the PDP has questioned the transparency of the spending plan, particularly singling out allocations it deems frivolous.
Among the contentious provisions is a staggering N200 million earmarked for lawmakers and N280 million set aside for the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly for “phone expenses.” The opposition party, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, condemned the allocations as excessive and unjustifiable.
“The Ondo State 2025 Appropriation Act, signed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is aptly a ‘Budget of Looting.’ Yet, the Governor branded it a ‘Budget of Recovery,’” Peretei said.
The PDP also raised concerns over an N11.5 billion allocation to the Ministry of Finance under the subhead of “security vote,” questioning the rationale behind a ministry receiving such funds. The party argued that security votes are typically reserved for the governor and not government ministries.
“Not even budget experts can explain the rationale for a ministry receiving a ‘security vote,’ which is distinct from what the Governor himself collects monthly under the same subhead,” the statement added.
The party further criticised the allocation of N77.02 billion to the education sector and N46.02 billion to healthcare, arguing that these amounts were inadequate to address the state’s pressing development challenges.
Calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate what it termed “brazen looting” embedded in the budget, the PDP insisted that the allocations reflect a lack of accountability and a disregard for the needs of the people.
However, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has dismissed the PDP’s allegations as politically motivated and misleading. In a counter-statement, the party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, defended the budget, stating that it was carefully crafted to drive economic growth and development.
“The allocations are in line with the state’s development priorities. The PDP’s claims are nothing more than an attempt to discredit the administration out of bitterness for losing the last governorship election,” Otaloro stated.
The controversy underscores the growing tension between the APC-led government and the opposition PDP over Ondo State’s fiscal policies. As economic hardships persist, concerns over budgetary allocations and government spending are likely to remain at the forefront of political discourse in the state.
