Senator Garba Musa Maidoki has accused the Tinubu administration of failing to implement its budgets for three years. He also warned President Bola Tinubu that he will “live to regret” ignoring Nigerians’ complaints. The senator, who represents Kebbi South, spoke in an interview on AIT. He did not hold back, and the presidency has not yet responded to his claims.
Maidoki began by recalling his clash with the Kebbi State governor. “I stood up here in the Senate to tell Nigerians to assist us, that bandits are killing us,” he said. “Suddenly the governor thought I was fighting him.” He insisted he has nothing against Governor Nasir Idris. His people sent him to the Senate, he explained, and they asked him to cry out for help. “And I cried,” he said.
That dispute has a history. Maidoki won his seat in 2023 on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket and later moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Earlier this year, he left the APC for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on the Senate floor. At the time, he told reporters that his cry over insecurity had turned the governor against him. The governor’s side of the story was not part of the interview.
The senator then turned to the economy. He said Tinubu’s government has now run for three years. According to him, the budgets for 2024, 2025 and 2026 have not been implemented. “He has never implemented a budget,” Maidoki claimed. He then asked a blunt question. “How does a country run without a budget?” In his view, the government finances projects selectively instead of following the approved plan.
Maidoki also criticised the government’s borrowing. “We have borrowed and borrowed and borrowed,” he said. He asked where the money has gone. Moreover, he pointed out that revenue agencies keep telling the Senate they have beaten their targets. “Where is the money going?” he asked. Sojworldnews could not independently verify these claims, and the senator did not give figures.
Despite his harsh words, Maidoki said he respects the president. He described Tinubu as a nationalist and a gentleman. However, he warned him against listening to people who say all is well. “If anybody is telling him all is well, it is lies,” the senator said. The earlier the president corrects the imbalances, particularly on budget implementation, the better for him. “Otherwise, wallahi, he will live to regret this,” Maidoki warned.
The senator also described the mood in the country. “Nigerians are suffering. Nigerians are complaining,” he said. He urged the president to listen to those voices and to take action. Furthermore, he said lawmakers will continue to give good advice. Whether the president takes it, he added, is his prerogative.
Then he ended on a darker note. Maidoki said he is thankful that Nigeria’s democracy has not been truncated so far. However, he said he fears for its future if the current course continues. He did not finish the thought in the clip. Therefore, listeners were left to draw their own conclusions about what might follow.
The remarks come as opposition figures sharpen their attacks on the administration. Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State said this week that he regrets backing Tinubu in 2023. Consequently, Maidoki’s comments add to a growing chorus of criticism from politicians who once worked with, or near, the ruling party.
The presidency has not responded to Maidoki’s claims. Sojworldnews will update this report when it does.
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