₦airaland Forum

Senators Now Pocket At Least N2Billion, Reps N1Billion In ‘Constituency Projects’ Since Tinubu Removed Fuel Subsidy—Lawmaker Exposes Budget Padding

A federal lawmaker has revealed the staggering amounts of public funds Nigerian lawmakers now receive for so-called "constituency projects.”

The lawmaker revealed that significantly more funds have been allocated to so-called ‘constituency projects’—often used to pad budgets—since President Bola Tinubu’s administration removed the fuel subsidy.

He claimed that no Senator in the country currently gets less than N2 billion, while House of Representatives members now pocket a minimum of N1 billion each.

The lawmaker, whose name SaharaReporters has yet to ascertain, disclosed this at a recent public gathering in Osun State while addressing members of his constituency.

His statement has ignited fresh outrage over the deepening culture of corruption, impunity, and opaque spending in Nigeria’s legislative arm.

He said, “I understand the functions of National Assembly members, and I want people to know that there is no honourable member—quote me anywhere; I am saying it publicly. We have nine honourable members from Osun State. There has been no honourable member since Tinubu’s inauguration who is getting constituency projects less than N1 billion. Before, it was not up to that. The increment started last year."

According to him, the budget hike followed the removal of fuel subsidy under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. This move has plunged millions of Nigerians into unprecedented hardship while simultaneously padding the pockets of political elites.

“Immediately they removed subsidy and our governor started getting more funds, the same thing became applicable to Senators and honourable members,” he said. “If a House of Representatives member is doing some projects, don't think he is using his personal fund.”

The lawmaker went on to stress that: “Now, there is no Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with constituency projects less than N2 billion.”

This revelation directly contradicts the public image often portrayed by lawmakers who claim to be struggling for their people, while in reality, they preside over bloated budgets shrouded in secrecy and execute largely untraceable or abandoned projects under the guise of constituency development.

SaharaReporters has previously documented how constituency projects have become one of the most abused avenues for looting public funds, with contracts often awarded to cronies, inflated, or left uncompleted.

Projects are sometimes either ghost initiatives or shoddily executed without any tangible impact.

Despite receiving trillions of naira since the return of democracy in 1999 for such projects, many communities across Nigeria remain in dire poverty, lacking basic infrastructure such as water, schools, and health centres.

While ordinary Nigerians continue to struggle with the soaring cost of living, crippling inflation, and poor service delivery, lawmakers are enjoying fat allocations with zero transparency.

"The budget hike followed the removal of fuel subsidy under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

This move has plunged millions of Nigerians into unprecedented hardship while simultaneously padding the pockets of political elites...... "