Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to allocate ₦22.15 billion for the construction and renovation of 106 traditional rulers’ palaces, describing the expenditure as unconstitutional and lacking transparency. In a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku argued that the Federal Government has no constitutional mandate to finance projects relating to traditional institutions.
According to Atiku, President Bola Tinubu swore to uphold the Constitution and should not use the Appropriation Act to assume responsibilities assigned to state and local governments.
He maintained that traditional institutions fall within the constitutional jurisdiction of sub-national governments, not the Federal Government. The former Vice President questioned the legal basis for the allocation, asking which section of the Constitution authorises the Federal Government to spend public funds on palace construction and renovation.
He argued that the 1999 Constitution only references traditional institutions by allowing states to establish Councils of Chiefs to advise governors on customary and chieftaincy matters. Beyond that advisory role, Atiku said the Constitution leaves the creation, administration and funding of traditional institutions entirely to state governments and their Houses of Assembly.
Beyond the constitutional argument, Atiku criticised what he described as the lack of transparency surrounding the allocation. He noted that the Federal Government had not disclosed the identities of the traditional rulers, the locations of the affected palaces or the specific distribution of the ₦22.15 billion budget.
According to him, the absence of these details creates room for abuse and raises concerns that some of the projects may exist only on paper. He warned that even the traditional rulers in whose names the funds were appropriated might never benefit from the allocations.
Atiku insisted that a national budget should reflect constitutional principles and public accountability rather than serve as a vehicle for questionable spending. While affirming his respect for traditional institutions, he argued that royal fathers should not be used to legitimise what he described as opaque budgetary provisions.
He called on the Presidency, the Budget Office and all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to immediately publish: the complete list of the 106 palace projects, locations of each palace, amount allocated to every project, the constitutional basis for the expenditure, procurement process through which the contracts will be awarded.
The former Vice President maintained that the national treasury must be managed in accordance with constitutional provisions and principles of transparency. According to him, no administration can claim commitment to the rule of law while appropriating public funds for projects it allegedly lacks constitutional authority to execute or while withholding details of the intended beneficiaries.
His comments come amid ongoing public debate over spending priorities in the 2026 Appropriation Act and renewed calls for greater transparency in the implementation of federal budget allocations.
