The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has questioned the Federal Government’s planning and funding for the expansion of Army divisions to tackle insecurity.
Makinde said the establishment of additional military formations must be supported by proper planning and adequate budgetary provisions.
Speaking on Monday at the APM North-Central Town Hall Meeting in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Makinde said he examined the 2026 Appropriation Act but could not identify a provision specifically relating to the expansion of the Army divisions.
“I was looking at the budget for 2026. I was looking for the item in that budget relating to the expansion of those Army divisions. I did not see it,” he said.
The governor challenged the Federal Government to produce the relevant budget provision if one exists, arguing that security formations could not be established without considering the financial and operational requirements involved.
“If they have it in the budget that they prepared for 2026, let them bring it out. So, you cannot just wake up and say, without any plan, I am setting up or expanding Army divisions to tackle insecurity. There has to be a lot of planning that will go into this,” he said.
Makinde also questioned whether the increase in allocations received by state governments from the Federation Account had translated into improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
He acknowledged that states were receiving more money but said the increase had not, in his view, sufficiently addressed hunger and other economic difficulties.
“Yes, we have more money, but has it translated to fighting hunger in our society? The answer is no,” he said.
The APM candidate also spoke about Oyo State’s dependence on federal allocations, saying the state relied on the Federation Account for more than 80 per cent of its revenue when he assumed office in 2019.
He said his administration reduced the dependence to about 65 per cent by 2022 but claimed it had since risen to almost 80 per cent.
Makinde attributed the reversal to economic policies introduced by the Federal Government after 2023, describing them as “voodoo economics.”
He said the figures demonstrated that increased revenue allocations alone were not sufficient to address the country’s security and economic challenges, stressing the need for proper planning and policies that would translate resources into measurable improvements in the lives of citizens.
Makinde also used the town hall meeting to present his proposed “Reset Nigeria” agenda, saying he believed the country could be reset within four years if he is elected president in 2027.
