The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has criticised the Senate’s decision to reject a proposal seeking an investigation into military spending despite the worsening insecurity across Nigeria.
Adebayo said the refusal to scrutinise defence expenditure in the face of rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and violent attacks sends the wrong message to Nigerians, who deserve transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday, the SDP chieftain argued that protecting troop morale should not be used as an excuse to avoid questions about how huge allocations to the security sector are being spent.
According to him, the real issue is not the amount budgeted for defence and security, but whether the money eventually gets to the armed forces and is properly utilised.
“The issue is not just budgeting money for defence. It is whether the money reaches the armed forces and is properly utilised. This administration budgeted N5.413 trillion for defence and security without any positive result,” Adebayo said.
He expressed doubts that the huge allocations approved for security operations were translating into improved welfare for military personnel or yielding meaningful gains in the fight against insecurity.
“The legislative arm of government said they want to probe, but the Senate told Nigerians that it will undermine the troops’ morale and operational effectiveness. The truth of the matter is this: the money in question is even supposed to be for future defence, not for security or intelligence,” he said.
“So, don’t disturb yourself about that drama in the National Assembly. I can tell you that even the budget that is there now will not reach the armed forces.”
Adebayo further criticised what he described as long-standing weaknesses in Nigeria’s budgeting process, saying the country’s financial system often lacks the discipline and transparency required to achieve desired outcomes.
“The budgeting system in Nigeria operates traditionally like an election. They will say we must hold elections every four years, yet it will be conducted anyhow,” he added.
His remarks come amid growing public concern over the country’s security situation despite record spending on defence in recent years.
Nigeria continues to battle multiple security challenges, including terrorism in the North-East, bandit attacks in parts of the North-West and North-Central, kidnappings for ransom, communal violence and other forms of criminality affecting different parts of the country.
Despite repeated increases in defence budgets and supplementary allocations, many Nigerians have questioned why insecurity remains widespread.
Adebayo also faulted the government’s approach to addressing insecurity, particularly the policy of rehabilitating and reintegrating repentant terrorists into society.
The former presidential candidate argued that Nigerians deserve security strategies that prioritise the protection of innocent citizens and vulnerable communities.
He suggested that authorities should focus more on practical solutions capable of preventing attacks and restoring public confidence.
Despite his criticism of the current administration, Adebayo maintained that Nigeria’s challenges were not beyond redemption.
“These are problems we can overcome, but leadership must be willing to do what is right,” he said.
The SDP stalwart also used the opportunity to renew his call for electoral reforms aimed at strengthening public trust in Nigeria’s democratic process.
He advocated constitutional amendments that would guarantee the full independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, allowing politicians, especially the President, to appoint those who oversee elections weakens confidence in the electoral system.
“INEC cannot be truly independent when politicians appoint those running it,” he argued.
The controversy over military spending began weeks earlier during Senate deliberations on the deteriorating security situation in the country following renewed bandit attacks in Oyo and Kwara states.
During the debate, lawmakers expressed concern over increasing cases of kidnapping and violent crimes nationwide.
However, discussions took a different turn when Senator Adams Oshiomhole proposed that military expenditure should be reviewed as part of efforts to ensure accountability and improve outcomes in the fight against insecurity.
Oshiomhole argued that repeated Senate resolutions condemning insecurity would have little impact without proper implementation and scrutiny of how security funds are spent.
He maintained that Nigerians had a right to know whether the enormous sums appropriated for defence were being effectively utilised.
Senator Sani Musa supported the proposal, noting that substantial budgetary allocations to the defence sector had not translated into improved security conditions across the country.
Although Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin acknowledged concerns about accountability in the management of security funds, attempts to include an investigation into military expenditure among the Senate’s resolutions failed.
No senator seconded the motion seeking the probe.
A subsequent effort to amend the resolution also failed to attract support from lawmakers.
The Senate eventually adopted resolutions aimed at addressing insecurity without approving any investigation into military spending.
Days later, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele defended the decision, insisting that probing military expenditure while troops were actively engaged in security operations could undermine national security efforts.
According to him, placing the military under scrutiny in the middle of ongoing conflicts would amount to putting troops on trial at a critical moment.
He described such a move as unpatriotic and potentially harmful to operational effectiveness.
Bamidele, however, clarified that the Senate was not advocating the absence of accountability in the use of defence funds.
He stressed that legislative oversight remains necessary but argued that inquiries into military operations and expenditure should be conducted after hostilities have subsided.
The debate has since sparked mixed reactions among Nigerians.
While some support the Senate’s position that security agencies should be allowed to focus on ongoing operations without distractions, others insist that transparency and accountability are essential, especially when public funds running into trillions of naira are involved.
As insecurity continues to dominate national discourse, the disagreement highlights the difficult balance between supporting troops on the battlefield and ensuring that funds allocated in their name are used efficiently and responsibly.