APC reacts to alleged padding of 2017 budget

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday in Abuja, ​urged Nigerians to dismiss insinuations ​that ​the 2017 budget approved by the National Assembly on Thursday was padded by the legislat​ure​​.

National Publicity Secretary​, ​Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, ​told journalists that rather than criticise the budget, Nigerians should commend the lawmakers and the APC leadership for making it open for public scrutiny before it was passed.

He said that Nigerians were able to know how much was allocated to each sector of the economy, “because for the first time in Nigeria’s democratic history, its budget was open to public for scrutiny’’.

This, he said, was not possible before now, adding that the APC was proud of the development.

“By making the budget available to the public for scrutiny, they are demonstrating that we meant it when our party said we are going to operate within the principle of probity and accountability.

“What happened at the National Assembly is unprecedented because for the first time, Nigerians are seeing the details of the budget and this should be commended,” Abdullahi said.

​The legislature raised​ 2017 Appropriation Bill N7.30 trillion proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari on Dec​ember​ 14, 2016, to N7.44 trillion.