Group Urges National Assembly To Pass Vote Of No Confidence On Finance Minister, Accountant-General Over 2025 Budget Failure
The Civil Rights Network on Accountability (CRNA) has called on the leadership of the National Assembly to pass a vote of no confidence on the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, over what it described as the failure to implement the 2025 budget.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, CRNA accused the two officials of presiding over a “total collapse” of fiscal leadership, noting that several months into the fiscal year, no meaningful percentage of the 2025 budget has been implemented.
The statement was signed by the group’s President, Chief Adekunle Ogunsiwaju, and its National Secretary, Nkiru Okoye.
According to the group, the delay amounts to gross incompetence and a serious breach of public trust, warning that the finance ministry and the office of the accountant-general have become obstacles to effective governance rather than drivers of national development.
“The continued failure of the minister of finance and the accountant-general of the federation to commence meaningful implementation of the 2025 budget is indefensible,” the statement said. “It shows clear incompetence, absence of coordination, and a troubling lack of transparency and accountability in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.”
CRNA stressed that budget implementation is central to governance, arguing that delays in fiscal execution directly result in stalled projects, unpaid obligations, rising public frustration and worsening economic hardship.
The group described the situation as a governance crisis, questioning the activities of the officials entrusted with managing the nation’s finances while critical sectors remain paralyzed.
CRNA also warned that President Bola Tinubu’s decision to retain both officials in office despite what it termed “persistent and glaring failures” could undermine the credibility of the administration’s economic agenda.
“If the president continues to keep them in office, Nigerians should prepare for the March 31 deadline for partial implementation of the 2025 budget to be in complete shambles,” the group said, adding that fiscal discipline and economic reforms cannot be achieved without capable leadership.
The group further accused the finance ministry and the treasury of operating with little transparency, citing the absence of clear timelines for budget execution, lack of information on cash releases and poor public reporting on budget performance.
“There is no transparency as to cash releases, no accountability on budget performance, and no credible explanation to Nigerians for the paralysis we are witnessing. This level of dysfunction would not be tolerated in any serious democracy,” CRNA stated.
It urged the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives to exercise their oversight powers, insisting that passing a vote of no confidence would demonstrate a commitment to accountability and responsible governance.
“The National Assembly must rise to its constitutional duty and act in defence of the Nigerian people. A vote of no confidence is not an act of hostility but an act of responsibility,” the group said.
CRNA warned that continued budget paralysis could deepen poverty, stall infrastructure development and further erode public trust, especially amid rising inflation and unemployment.
“This is not about politics; it is about competence and accountability. Nigeria cannot afford a finance ministry and treasury leadership that have become symbols of delay, confusion and failure,” the statement added.
