KWARA’S 2026 BUDGET: Accountability under Fire

-Lawal Akanbi Sharafadeen

Fundamentally, the handling of Kwara State’s ₦644 billion 2026 budget exposes serious transparency failures. A document of such public importance was neither proactively released nor openly debated before legislative consideration, forcing civil society groups to request access to what belongs to the people. More concerning is the passive posture of the Kwara State House of Assembly, which advanced the process without insisting on disclosure, thereby weakening its constitutional duty as the people’s fiscal gatekeeper, a typical puppetry of the Danladi led Kwara house of Assembly by the Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq led administration.

Practically, this secrecy deepens public distrust. In a democracy, citizens must assess how revenues are spent, especially amid rising debt and high recurrent costs. The Assembly’s failure to demand clear, accessible budget breakdowns before approval denies the public the ability to judge priorities or verify value for money. Shifting debt figures without transparent explanation only reinforces the sense that fiscal decisions are insulated from scrutiny.

Equally troubling is how claims of fiscal discipline go largely untested. Describing the 2026 budget as capital-driven rings hollow when lawmakers allow approval without public access to data but bare fangs on who should belong to their rumor-mongering what’sapp group. When the legislature echoes executive assurances rather than interrogating them, oversight becomes ceremonial and accountability collapses into routine endorsement.

Ultimately, democratic governance requires openness before approval, not justification after passage. Rising debt, opaque budgeting and legislative complacency reveal structural weaknesses under the Abdulrahman-led administration. Without firm legislative scrutiny, proactive disclosure and clear spending justification, fiscal governance will remain detached from the people. Restoring transparency is not optional; it is the minimum democratic obligation owed to Kwarans; and therefore the government must provide insight before decisions are made, not after, or risk eroding public trust and accountability.

-Lawal Akanbi Sharafadeen writes from Kwara State Capital.