The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has renewed his call for President Bola Tinubu to resign, alleging that recent revelations of what he described as “grand corruption” have made the president’s continued stay in office untenable.

In a statement posted on his X account on Sunday, Obi cited an alleged ₦8.83 trillion expenditure in the 2025 fiscal year that he claimed was not captured in the approved federal budget.

According to the former Anambra State governor, the alleged spending, which he linked to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s 2026 Article IV Consultation Report, raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability and adherence to public finance management principles.

“The grand corruption being revealed daily in this regime supports why the president should resign,” Obi said.

He described the alleged expenditure as alarming, noting that it represents about two percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and more than 35 percent of the country’s ₦23.96 trillion capital budget for 2025.

Obi also argued that the amount exceeds the combined federal allocations to the education and health sectors, saying proper utilisation of the funds could have significantly improved infrastructure, public services and job creation.

“If such an amount were properly utilised and accounted for, it could transform Nigeria’s health and education sectors. It could also foster the creation of hundreds of small industries, creating jobs for thousands of graduates and laying a solid foundation for economic development. But we cannot account for it,” he stated.

The opposition leader further alleged that the reported expenditure reflects a recurring pattern of financial mismanagement under the current administration.

He warned that continued disregard for due process in public finance threatens national stability, arguing that corruption has become one of Nigeria’s greatest challenges.

Obi also accused the government of failing to deploy public resources to tackle poverty and critical infrastructure deficits despite worsening economic conditions.

Reaffirming his earlier position, Obi insisted that President Tinubu should step down over what he described as incompetence, lack of capacity, failure to fulfil campaign promises and the administration’s alleged failure to ensure accountability.

He urged Nigerians to lawfully demand greater transparency and hold the government accountable.

“A few days ago, I called on President Tinubu to resign from office due to incompetence, lack of capacity, lack of compassion and failure to deliver on his campaign promises. Some people thought this call was excessive, but with the daily revelations of widespread corruption in this administration and its total lack of commitment to the welfare and security of Nigerian citizens, the only reasonable action is for President Tinubu to resign,” Obi said.