In 2026, the Nigerian presidency, made up the President, the Vice President, President’s Chief of Staff and Chief Security Officer to the President, will spend nearly N4 billion on the purchase of new operational vehicles, but is yet to explain to Nigerians what happens to old cars at the Villa.

According to Nigeria’s 2026 budget seen by Economy Post, the State House Headquarters will spend N2.563 billion on the purchase of operational vehicles and N768.93 million on the replacement of SUVs . It will also purchase new tyres for various kinds of vehicles, including CCUs and bullet-proof cars, at the cost of N115.493 million.

Similarly, Office of the President in the State House, which also includes the Vice President, budgeted N89.504 million for the procurement of operational car unity fleet and another N89.504 million for the purchase of SUVs.

Also, Office of the Chief of Staff to the President budgeted N199.5 milliom for the purchase of unspecified number of vehicles, while Office of the Chief Security Officer to the President will spend N135.75 million for the procurement of security and operational vehicles. The total amount that will be spent by the State House on the procurement of vehicles this year is N3.95 billion, which is approximately N4 billion.

A regular inexplicable trend

However, the presidency has continued to include the purchase of vehicles in its budget every year. In 2025, the State House Headquarters budgeted N3.661 billion for the purchase of operational vehicles, and another N1.098 billion for SUVs. It also budgeted N164.990 million for the procurement of tyres for various vehicles. Similarly, the Office of the President’s Chief of Staff also earmarked N285 million for the purchase of vehicles.

In case you are ready to make excuses for the presidency over the non-implementation of the 2025 budget, here is why it is not tenable. In 2021 budget, which was then majorly implemented, the State House Headquarters spent N336.264 million on the replacement of vehicles and spares, and N101.089 million for the purchase of tyres of bullet-proof and utility vehicles.

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There was something shocking here about the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President and Office of the Chief Security Officer to the President. Both earmarked the same amount (N229.415 million) for the purchase of vehicles in 2021 – as if it was pre-planned.

Nigeria’s ‘fraudulent’ budget

Financial analysts say the nation’s annual budgets are simply ‘fraudulent,’ enriching civil servants and politicians who simply rehash previous years’ line items and smile to the bank when disbursements are made.

“Tell me why we have to buy vehicles every year. The line item sometimes appears twice or three times in the same budget of a ministry, department or agency. What this simply means is that there are individuals in the presidency or MDAs who ensure that these items recur in annual budgets. When the money is released, they take their cuts and use the money to build mansions,” said United Kingdom-based economist, Dr Bunmi Kehinde.

She explained that the issue had lingered because institutions that should supervise budget preparations had been asleep over the years.

“I do not know whether this means collusion or negligence, but the Budget Office of the Federation, the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Auditor-General of the Federation should wake up. It is a shame for us to still have these items in our annual budgets. At the personal level, does anybody buy cars evey year?

“Do you change your tyres every year? How then should the presidency change tyres of its new vehicles every year? And have they told Nigerians what happens to the vehicles purchased last year? Were they auctioned or sold? Or do you still use them? Questions are asked in places like the UK, but everybody keeps silent in Nigeria as if it is the only nation in the world that prepares annual budgets.”

A presidential spokesperson did not respond to questions regarding what happened to vehicles purchased in 2025 or earlier.