Hardship: Tinubu has spent N26trn Service-Wide Votes in 3 years - Dino Melaye

Former Senator Dino Melaye has accused President Bola Tinubu of spending more than N26 trillion on Service-Wide Votes (SWV) over the past three years. Melaye made this claim during a meeting in Abuja, expressing concerns over the lack of transparency and oversight by the National Assembly. He argued that since the President has the discretion over SWV, which are not appropriated through the budgetary process, there is insufficient scrutiny of how the funds are spent.

Melaye highlighted the rapid increase in SWV spending from N3 trillion in 2021 to over N12 trillion in 2023, alleging that the cumulative expenditure surpassed N26 trillion. He questioned what this vast sum could achieve for Nigerians, pointing towards infrastructure, public services, hospitals, schools, and roads that could have been built with the funds.

Melaye also criticized the president's choice of a more expensive official vehicle, the Beast, over the cost-effective Mercedes X-Class, which he claims was used by previous Nigerian presidents. He urged the ADC and House of Representatives aspirants to convey his concerns to the public, warning of potential worsening economic hardship if the government fails to address these issues.