By Dayo Johnson
AKURE — THE People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State, yesterday, disagreed over the 2026 budget as a monument to elitism, insensitive and misplaced priorities.
While the PDP expressed outrage over the shocking expenditure priorities contained in the 2026 Budget, the APC described the allegation as a deliberate misrepresentation.
The PDP, in a statement by its Director of Media and Public Communication, Mr Wande Ajayi, said: “This has once again exposed a government more committed to the comfort of political office holders than to the welfare of the people.
“Verified figures from the approved budget show that the Ondo State government plans to spend a staggering N23.3 billion on government vehicles and transport-related items, including N2.1 billion earmarked for the purchase of 27 Toyota Fortuner SUVs for just 26 legislators and one clerk.
“By simple arithmetic, this government has budgeted less than N15 per person for medicines for an entire year, in a state grappling with failing primary healthcare centres, rising maternal mortality and preventable diseases.
“At the same time, lawmakers’ luxury SUVs alone cost four times more than the N515 million allocated for educational materials and equipment across the state.
“This is not a budgeting error; it is a statement of values. It confirms that under the current APC administration, governance is viewed as an avenue for elite comfort rather than public service.
“The PDP finds it disturbing that at a time of widespread poverty, unemployment and declining social services, the Ondo State government sees nothing wrong in insulating political office holders in luxury while ordinary citizens are left exposed to hunger, disease and educational decay.”
But in a swift response, the APC Director of Media and Public Communication, Mr Steve Otaloro, described PDP’s allegation as a politically motivated narrative designed to mislead the public.
Otaloro said: “The allocations referenced reflect strategic administrative necessities rather than extravagance or elitism.
“Governance, particularly in a state with expanding infrastructural and administrative demands, requires functional mobility, operational efficiency, and adequate security provisions for public officials who discharge constitutional responsibilities across diverse and sometimes challenging terrains.”
“The procurement of official vehicles is not a luxury indulgence but a pragmatic investment in ensuring that legislative and executive functions are carried out without logistical impediments, thereby enhancing service delivery to constituents across the state.
“It is both disingenuous and intellectually dishonest to isolate single line items within a comprehensive budget framework while ignoring the extensive and well-documented investments being made in healthcare, education, infrastructure, agriculture, and social welfare programmes.
“The opposition’s attempt to reduce healthcare investment to a narrow interpretation of pharmaceutical procurement grossly ignores ongoing capital healthcare projects, personnel recruitment, facility upgrades, public health interventions, and medical infrastructure expansion that collectively constitute the government’s holistic healthcare delivery strategy.
“The APC administration remains deeply sensitive to the economic realities faced by citizens and continues to implement targeted social intervention programmes, agricultural empowerment schemes, youth development initiatives, and employment creation strategies designed to cushion economic challenges and stimulate inclusive growth.”
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