Atiku Abubakar, former vice president of Nigeria and the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has alleged institutional corruption within President Bola Tinubu's administration following an International Monetary Fund (IMF) revelation. The IMF disclosed that Nigeria omitted public expenditure equivalent to two per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from recent budgets, sparking a political scandal.
Atiku Demands Accountability Over Missing Funds
In a statement sent to Legit.ng on Saturday, July 4, Atiku, through his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, questioned the integrity of Tinubu's government. The statement read: "The Constitution is not a book of suggestions. Section 80 is unequivocal: no money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly. Budgetary appropriation is not a ceremonial exercise; it is the legal authority upon which every kobo of public expenditure rests. If, as the IMF has revealed, expenditure amounting to two per cent of Nigeria's GDP was omitted from the budget process, then Nigerians are entitled to one simple question: Who stole the missing two per cent of our GDP?"
ADC Calls for Probe into PFIPC Scandal
This development came just 24 hours after the ADC called for the investigation of 10 persons and institutions over the controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), headed by Adeniyi Adeyemi. The presidency has accused Adeyemi of forging his appointment letter and insists that the agency is non-existent. The ADC listed the following for investigation: Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack; Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Tanimu Yakubu; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Office of the National Security Adviser; Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigeria Police Force; Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and Central Bank of Nigeria; and relevant oversight committees of the National Assembly, including the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, and the House of Representatives Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements.
Atiku Accuses Government of Opaque Financial Dealings
Atiku added that the IMF revelation painted a government where public institutions have been increasingly converted into instruments of opaque financial dealings. He emphasized that the omission of two per cent of GDP from the budget process raises serious questions about transparency and accountability in the Tinubu administration.
Group Demands Arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Concerned Nigerians for Transparency and Accountability Group (CTAG) demanded the immediate investigation of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi for alleged impersonation and misinformation. The allegations of a ghost agency and N600 million bribery against Adeyemi raised serious public trust concerns. Calls for accountability emphasized the need for evidence in public allegations to protect institutional integrity.
