Atiku

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Vice Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, has called on the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, to abandon his 2027 presidential ambition and support the NDC.

Kwankwaso made the appeal on Thursday when he received members of the Fulani Farmers Association at his residence in Abuja.

The former Kano State governor urged Atiku to step aside for the NDC ticket and assured him that he would be taken care of if the party eventually wins the presidency.

“Step down for us; if we win, we will take care of you,” Kwankwaso said.

The appeal comes amid ongoing efforts by opposition politicians to form a united front against President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Atiku, a former Vice President, remains one of the prominent opposition figures seeking the presidency in 2027.

Kwankwaso and the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had previously been associated with the ADC before they left the party in May. They cited internal divisions and court cases within the party as reasons for their departure.

Their move to the NDC has added to the realignment among opposition politicians ahead of the next presidential election.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of worsening the operating environment for Nigerian businesses while foreign investors continue to withdraw capital from the country.

Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the allegation in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

He cited data from the Nigerian Exchange, which showed that foreign investors invested ₦513.36 billion in the Nigerian equities market between January and July 2026 but withdrew ₦779.43 billion, resulting in a net capital outflow of ₦266.07 billion.

According to Atiku, foreign outflows exceeded inflows in every month within the period, with the net outflow about 11.7 times higher than the ₦22.68 billion recorded during the corresponding period of 2023.

“This is not merely an investment statistic. It is a confidence verdict on the Tinubu economy,” the statement read.

The former vice-president also criticised the Federal Government’s rising domestic borrowing, which he said increased by 90.5 per cent to ₦24.7 trillion within eight months.

He claimed that government credit had grown more than four times faster than credit available to the private sector.

“So, the picture is now painfully clear: Tinubu’s government is crowding Nigerian businesses out of the domestic credit market while foreign investors are taking their money and heading for the exit,” he said.

Atiku further listed rising food prices, transportation costs and business expenses among the challenges facing Nigerians.

“Local businesses are suffocating. Foreign capital is fleeing. Government borrowing is exploding. Food prices has skyrocketed. Transportation costs are crushing families.”

He accused the Tinubu administration of celebrating its economic reforms despite what he described as worsening economic hardship.

Atiku argued that an economy could not be considered to be recovering when businesses could not access affordable credit, manufacturers faced high operating costs, households experienced declining purchasing power and investors were reluctant to retain their funds in the country.

He said investors were assessing factors such as policy consistency, inflation, purchasing power, regulatory predictability and the prospect of earning sustainable returns.

“And their verdict is increasingly unmistakable: take the money and run,” he said.

The ADC presidential candidate called for policies that would rebuild investor confidence, reduce the cost of doing business and make energy and transportation more affordable while promoting local production.

He argued that the private sector, rather than increased government borrowing, should serve as the main driver of economic growth.

“That is the fundamental difference between Tinubu’s economics of government consumption and Atiku’s economics of private-sector production and household affordability,” he said.

Atiku added: “You cannot borrow the private sector dry, impoverish consumers and then advertise yourself to the world as an investment destination. The investors are already answering the propaganda. They are leaving.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed concern over reports that some young Nigerians are resorting to kidney sales because of worsening economic difficulties.

Atiku made the remarks in a post on X on Thursday, where he linked the reported development to the rising cost of living under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The former Vice President said he had received what he described as “disturbing stories” about young Nigerians who were considering the sale of parts of their bodies as a means of raising money.

“I have heard disturbing stories about the extent to which young Nigerians are being driven simply to survive. Perhaps the most horrifying are the growing reports of young people selling parts of their bodies: kidneys in particular, in desperate attempts to raise money,” Atiku wrote.

He maintained that young Nigerians should have opportunities to develop their talents and pursue their ambitions instead of considering the sale of their organs.

According to him, they should be “selling dreams, ideas and innovation, not their body organs,” and described the reported situation as something that should “offend the conscience of every Nigerian.”

Atiku further alleged that some young Nigerians were being pushed to sell their kidneys for as little as ₦1.7m. However, the figure was not linked to a specific report or government agency.

The reported amount could not be independently verified.

Atiku attributed the alleged trend to the pressure caused by the increasing prices of basic necessities, including food, transportation, accommodation, education, healthcare and electricity.

He said, “In Tinubu’s Nigeria, almost everything required to live with dignity is becoming more expensive by the day: food, transport, rent, school fees, medicine and electricity.

“Yet young Nigerians are reportedly being driven to sell their kidneys for as little as ₦1.7 million.

“That should break the heart of a nation.

“Young Nigerians should be building careers, starting businesses, raising families and pursuing their dreams, not calculating how much parts of their bodies can fetch simply to stay alive.

“When young Nigerians begin to see their kidneys as emergency savings, we are no longer talking about ordinary economic hardship. We are talking about desperation at its most frightening.”

The ADC presidential candidate acknowledged that Nigerian laws prohibit the commercial sale of human organs and organ trafficking.

He, however, argued that “laws alone cannot cure the poverty and desperation that make vulnerable young people easy prey for criminal networks.”

Atiku called for economic measures that would address the difficulties faced by ordinary Nigerians. He listed affordable food, lower transportation costs, accessible healthcare, decent employment opportunities and “renewed hope for the next generation” among the measures he said were needed.

He concluded with a criticism of the President, saying, “Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again.”

His comments came amid recent reports of alleged organ trafficking activities in some parts of Nigeria.

The Nigeria Police Force recently paraded four suspects, including two nephrologists, over an alleged organ-trafficking operation.

The police alleged that one of the suspects, Emmanuel Ode, admitted to recruiting victims. Investigators also alleged that a 22-year-old man was taken to a hospital in Abuja in April, where his kidney was allegedly removed for $1,250, said to be about ₦1.7m.

According to investigators, the suspected syndicate targeted vulnerable young people facing financial difficulties in Nasarawa and surrounding areas.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his recent comments on proposals aimed at reducing energy costs, saying Nigerians have endured prolonged economic hardship while the government is now promising relief as the 2027 elections draw closer.

Atiku made his position known through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, who issued a statement on Tuesday titled, “Tinubu, the issue is not Atiku — it is why Nigerians can no longer afford to live.”

Shaibu said Atiku was not interested in turning the matter into a personal confrontation with the President. He maintained that the former vice president would continue to advocate policies that could ease the financial burden on Nigerians.

He said, “Atiku has more important people to engage directly: the mother struggling to feed her children; the civil servant whose salary disappears into transportation; the farmer paying more to move produce to market; the student being pushed into debt simply to remain in school; and millions of Nigerians whose daily reality bears no resemblance to the prosperity advertised in your tweets.”

The statement followed Tinubu’s recent criticism of Atiku’s economic proposals, particularly suggestions for reducing energy costs. The President had also rejected the possibility of a return to fuel subsidy arrangements.

Shaibu questioned the timing of the administration’s renewed promises to reduce transportation costs, boost food production and provide assistance to vulnerable Nigerians after years of economic difficulties.

“Why did Nigerians have to suffer for more than three years before your government discovered that economic growth must reach ‘the dining table and the pocket ‘. Why is intervention backwards when Atiku proposes it, but progressive when you announce it?,” he asked.

According to the statement, lowering energy costs could have broader economic benefits because cheaper fuel would reduce transportation and production expenses. This, it said, could eventually bring down the prices of food and other essential commodities.

Shaibu also outlined aspects of the Atiku Economic Recovery Plan, which he said would provide targeted support for Nigerian crude supplied to domestic refineries under a capped and transparently budgeted framework.

He said the proposal would involve tracking crude supplied to refineries, monitoring refined petroleum products and introducing a consumer pass-through mechanism to ensure Nigerians benefit directly from the intervention.

“The economics is straightforward. Reduce fuel costs, and you reduce pressure on transportation. Reduce transportation costs, and you reduce the cost of moving tomatoes, rice, yam, livestock and manufactured goods,” he said.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Presidency has strongly refuted claims circulating in some media circles that suggest President Bola Tinubu is connected to ongoing U.S. legal proceedings, describing the reports as a desperate political maneuver funded by opposition figures seeking foreign validation ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a detailed statement issued Sunday, Dr. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, characterized the coordinated media campaign as a “clinical demonstration of desperation” orchestrated by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s camp.

According to publicly verifiable filings with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), Atiku Abubakar contracted the Washington-based firm Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C. on a $1.2 million, 12-month retainer. The agreement’s explicit scope, Dare noted, is to execute a “targeted, partisan campaign” designed to “counterbalance” Nigerian government narratives and weaponize historical judicial archives for domestic political leverage.

The statement identified Dr. Karl-Marx Edward Okeke-Von Batten—a U.S.-based consultant of Nigerian origin who added the “Von Batten” surname following his marriage—as the commercial lobbyist behind what the Presidency termed “manufactured controversies.”

“Okeke-Von Batten must have conned a desperate Alhaji Abubakar Atiku into believing that he has access to everyone in the Trump administration, including President Trump himself, by falsely representing that he had reached out to President Trump to release the so-called FBI files,” Dare stated.

The Presidency emphasized that the case in question has been active since 2023, with the FBI’s primary concern being “the protection of the techniques by which it gathers information and the safety of its sources.”

“The report presents no intelligence document, no named Western official, and no evidence of any exchange involving Nigeria’s secrets or resources. It is nothing more than political speculation packaged as classified information,” Dare asserted.

Addressing what it termed “the recycled fixation on decades-old, settled U.S. legal filings,” the statement referenced recent public discourse where Wole Afolabi, SAN, appeared on Channels Television to clarify that actions taken by the legal team to withhold certain sections of FOIA requests align strictly with U.S. legal provisions designed to protect confidential investigative processes.

“If the president had been criminally liable under U.S. law during past investigations, American authorities would have indicted and prosecuted him at the time,” the statement quoted Afolabi as clarifying.

The Presidency also dismissed suggestions linking President Tinubu’s current European trip to U.S. legal proceedings, describing it as a “previously scheduled annual leave” with “absolutely no connection” to ongoing FOIA matters.

Dare concluded by challenging the opposition to present tangible evidence for their allegations, arguing that “true democratic validation is earned through the ballot box and tangible service delivery to the citizens at home, not through manufactured headlines bought and paid for in foreign currency.”

The statement emphasized that Nigerians are “no longer naive spectators easily swayed by rented international mouthpieces or imported falsehoods.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Federal Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have rejected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore petrol subsidy, warning that such a move could reverse the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The renewed disagreement followed Atiku’s declaration that he would introduce a targeted and transparent petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.

Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, argued that Nigerians had yet to benefit sufficiently from the funds said to have been saved after the removal of petrol subsidy.

He also demanded greater transparency over the use of the savings, saying the resources should have supported poverty reduction, education, security and opportunities for young Nigerians.

His Economic Recovery Plan 2027 proposes a production-based subsidy system that would differ from the pre-2023 arrangement. Under the proposal, qualifying Nigerian refineries would receive crude oil at preferential prices under strict conditions, with the aim of lowering petrol prices and encouraging domestic refining.

The Federal Government, however, said returning to subsidy would recreate the fiscal challenges that prompted its removal.

Tinubu announced the end of the petrol subsidy regime during his inaugural address on May 29, 2023. He said the policy had become unsustainable and that the resources previously spent on it would be redirected to infrastructure, education, healthcare and job creation.

Responding to Atiku’s proposal on Sunday, APC National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, described it as a “deeply troubling policy U-turn.”

Yilwatda questioned how the opposition would finance the proposed subsidy and warned against introducing a major economic policy as an election promise without explaining its long-term financial implications.

“Economic policy cannot be reduced to election-season promises. Nigerians deserve to know precisely where the money will come from, what sectors will bear the cost and whether such a policy can be sustained without reopening the fiscal pressures that necessitated reform in the first place,” Yilwatda said.

The APC chairman spoke during a visit to the headquarters of the City Boy Movement in Abuja.

He maintained that subsidy removal, despite the hardship associated with it, was necessary. He said the government should strengthen social interventions and productive sectors instead of returning to the former subsidy system.

Yilwatda also urged Nigerians to assess the economic records and policy proposals of the various presidential contenders before the 2027 election.

He said the APC would continue to defend the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms while remaining open to credible alternatives.

FG Says Subsidy Removal Released N15.8tn

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also defended the subsidy removal, saying the reform had created additional fiscal resources for the three tiers of government.

Idris said figures contained in the Federal Government’s Reform Scorecard showed that subsidy savings generated N15.8tn for the federation between June 2023 and December 2025.

According to him, the Federal Government received about N5.43tn, while states and local governments received approximately N6.52tn and N3.88tn respectively.

The minister clarified that the N15.8tn was not money kept in a separate government account. He said the figure represented resources released into the wider fiscal system and made available to the three levels of government.

He added that the additional funds had strengthened the capacity of state and local governments to pay salaries and pensions as well as finance infrastructure and essential services.

At the federal level, Idris said the additional fiscal space had supported infrastructure, human capital development and social programmes.

He put additional expenditure on strategic infrastructure at about N6.47tn. The projects, he said, covered areas such as transport, housing, agriculture and security.

The minister also disclosed that more than 10 million households had benefited from social transfers. He said more than N400bn had been committed to programmes such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the MOFI Real Estate Investment Fund and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation.

Idris warned that reversing the subsidy reform could also undermine developments in the petroleum sector at a time when domestic refining capacity was expanding.


Atiku Accuses FG Of Double Standards

Atiku, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, criticised the Federal Government’s defence of subsidy removal.

He described the administration’s celebration of the policy as “one of the biggest economic frauds being sold to Nigerians.”

The former vice president argued that the government could not oppose intervention aimed at reducing hardship for ordinary citizens while granting tax credits and other fiscal incentives to major investors in the petroleum sector.

Atiku summarised his position by declaring, “You cannot subsidise capital and criminalise relief for citizens. You cannot offer cushions upstairs and call suffering downstairs.”

He also questioned the incentives available under the government’s Deep Offshore Oil and Gas Projects framework.

“Under Tinubu’s own Deep Offshore Oil and Gas Projects Incentives framework, qualifying petroleum developments can receive production tax credits beginning at $3 and $4.50 per barrel, with supplementary credits capable, in qualifying circumstances, of taking the combined benefit to as much as $11.50 per barrel,” he said.

Atiku asked why government intervention could be considered appropriate when it reduced investment risks for major petroleum operators but was rejected when aimed at reducing the burden on households.

“So, what exactly is Tinubu’s objection: government intervention itself, or government intervention for Nigerians?” he asked.

He also raised questions about petroleum-related expenditures recorded after subsidy removal.

Atiku cited financial statements of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, claiming that the company recorded about N4.84tn in energy-security expenses and related shortfalls in 2023 and approximately N7.13tn in 2024.

He said NNPCL had linked part of the expenditure to the difference between the exchange rate used to determine regulated PMS ex-coastal prices and the prevailing exchange rate at the time import obligations were settled.

“Where exactly did the subsidy go? If Nigerians were paying market prices because ‘subsidy is gone,’ why was the federation still carrying trillions of naira in under-recovery and energy-security costs?” he said.

Atiku argued that changing the terminology for such expenditures did not alter their economic effect.

“Nigerians do not eat semantics. Whether government calls it subsidy, under-recovery, shortfall or energy security, public resources were being used to bridge a gap between economic cost and the price at which petrol was sold,” he added.

The ADC candidate said the removal of subsidy had increased transportation, food, production and household costs.

He accused the administration of applying “brutally savage capitalism” to poor Nigerians while pursuing “compassionate capitalism for big oil money operators.”

He continued, “The government can protect a multibillion-dollar oil investment from risk, yet it says protecting the Nigerian worker from crushing hardship is bad economics,” Atiku said.

He added that the government could not “roll out the red carpet for rich oil operators while leaving its citizens to walk barefoot through hardship.”

Lawmaker Rejects Subsidy Restoration

The member representing Agege Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives, Dr Wale Ahmed, also rejected Atiku’s proposal.

Ahmed described the proposed policy as economically unsustainable and politically expedient. He warned that reversing the subsidy removal could disrupt the country’s economic recovery.

“Nigeria cannot afford to return to the subsidy era. What we need is to consolidate reforms and ensure their benefits reach ordinary Nigerians,” Ahmed said.

The lawmaker said the subsidy removal had increased government revenue by freeing funds previously used to keep petrol prices artificially low.

“The question should be how these additional resources are deployed to improve infrastructure, healthcare, education, transportation and security, not how we recreate an unsustainable subsidy regime,” he said.

Ahmed also asked Atiku to explain how the proposed subsidy arrangement would be financed without putting additional pressure on government finances.

“Where will the money come from? Will government borrow again to finance subsidy? Will allocations to states and local governments be reduced? Nigerians deserve clear answers,” he said.

He said the savings were not kept in a government vault but increased the revenue available to the federation.

“The savings were not money kept in a vault by the Federal Government. They increased revenues available to the federation and were shared among the three tiers of government,” he said.

Ahmed acknowledged the hardship caused by the reforms but argued that returning to the previous system would not resolve the underlying problems.

“Nobody is denying the hardship. It is real. But returning to the policies that contributed to our fiscal problems cannot be the solution,” he said.

He urged the Federal Government to accelerate measures aimed at reducing production and transportation costs through improved electricity supply and investment in agriculture.

ADC Leaders Back Atiku

Meanwhile, ADC chieftains have supported Atiku’s proposal, with former Edo State governorship aspirant Kenneth Imasuagbon describing criticism from the Presidency and APC as “misplaced and politically motivated.”

Imasuagbon said subsidy removal had worsened the economic situation of Nigerians through increased inflation and higher costs of living.

“The removal of fuel subsidy has not translated into a better life for Nigerians. Instead, it has pauperised millions of citizens, destroyed the purchasing power of workers, increased the cost of transportation, food, healthcare and education, while businesses continue to shut down under the weight of unbearable operating costs.”

He argued that Atiku’s willingness to reconsider the policy showed his readiness to review measures that had failed to deliver the expected benefits.

“Atiku should not be attacked simply because he is prepared to reconsider a position he held in 2023. That is the mark of a compassionate and people-oriented leader,” he said.

Imasuagbon also questioned the Federal Government’s account of the savings from subsidy removal.

“Where are the trillions reportedly saved? Nigerians deserve transparent answers.

“We still have collapsing infrastructure, worsening insecurity, failing hospitals, underfunded schools, mass unemployment and deepening poverty.

“If these enormous resources were truly invested in the people’s welfare, the ordinary Nigerian should have felt the impact by now,” he stated.

He said the debate should focus on whether the policy had improved the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.

The former governorship aspirant expressed confidence in Atiku’s ability to tackle what he described as Nigeria’s “economic quagmire.”

Also backing Atiku was the ADC governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Manir Dan’Iya.

Dan’Iya said a targeted and accountable subsidy system could reduce the pressure caused by rising transportation, food and other essential costs.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his Media Aide, Aminu Abdullahi, he said the economic situation required measures that would cushion the impact of rising living costs.

“At a time when Nigerian families are struggling to afford transportation, food and necessities, any credible policy capable of reducing the cost of living deserves serious consideration,” Dan’Iya said.

He stressed, however, that any future subsidy arrangement should be targeted, transparent and accountable to prevent corruption and waste.

Dan’Iya said Atiku’s proposal should also support domestic refining and reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.

“The 2027 election is an opportunity for Nigerians to choose a government that understands their hardship and is prepared to act.

“We must support policies that reduce the burden on our people, restore hope, strengthen institutions and put Nigeria back on the path of sustainable development,” he said.

The subsidy debate is expected to remain a major issue ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the Tinubu administration defending its removal as necessary for fiscal stability while opposition politicians continue to argue that the policy has imposed severe hardship on households and businesses.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has condemned former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to restore the petrol subsidy if elected president in 2027.

Yilwatda described the proposal as an act of “desperation for power”, arguing that a return to the subsidy regime could expose Nigeria to renewed economic and fiscal challenges.

He made his position known in a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Abimbola Tooki.

Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had said on Wednesday that he would restore the petrol subsidy if elected president.

The former vice-president made the declaration in Hausa during an interview with an ADC media group. He also questioned the Federal Government’s management of funds saved after the removal of the subsidy.

“I did not oppose the removal of the oil subsidy, but where is the money? Where did it go? It was intended to reduce poverty and help children attend school. Where is the money now? It seems they are just stealing it,” Atiku said.

“If elected, I will bring back the oil subsidy, and whoever stole the money must refund it.”

The proposal attracted criticism, with opponents arguing that it was inconsistent with Atiku’s position before the 2023 presidential election, when he was reported to have supported the removal of the petrol subsidy.

President Bola Tinubu also rejected the proposal, describing it as evidence of “serious ignorance of governance and economy”.

Reacting to Atiku’s position, Yilwatda said economic policies should not be shaped by electoral considerations.

Economic Policy Cannot Be Reduced To Election-Season Promises

Yilwatda spoke on Saturday during a visit to the headquarters of the City Boy Movement in Abuja.

He said Nigerians require detailed and sustainable economic plans rather than promises made during election campaigns.

The APC chairman said any proposal to reinstate the subsidy should face thorough scrutiny because the previous arrangement imposed a heavy financial burden on the government and caused distortions within the economy.

He added that opposition politicians had been challenged over the past three years to present clear alternatives to the policies of the APC administration, but, according to him, no convincing alternative had emerged.

Yilwatda questioned the timing of Atiku’s proposal, given that the 2027 election is approaching.

“Economic policy cannot be reduced to election-season promises,” Yilwatda said.

“Nigerians deserve to know precisely where the money will come from, what sectors will bear the cost and whether such a policy can be sustained without reopening the fiscal pressures that necessitated reform in the first place.”

He defended the removal of the petrol subsidy as a difficult but necessary decision. According to him, the policy should be supported with measures that reduce its impact on citizens, expand social interventions and strengthen productive sectors.

Yilwatda said effective leadership requires more than promises of immediate relief for electoral benefit. He argued that leaders must be prepared to make difficult decisions, explain them to Nigerians and pursue policies that can support lasting economic growth.

He urged Nigerians to assess the economic programmes of the various political parties before the 2027 elections.

The APC chairman advised voters to distinguish between policies that address the country’s structural challenges and proposals that may offer short-term political benefits while creating greater financial problems in the future.

Nigerians Must Scrutinise Policy Directions Of Those Seeking Power

Yilwatda also questioned the consistency of opposition politicians, particularly those who have moved between different political platforms.

He argued that politicians who frequently change parties may find it difficult to convince Nigerians that they can provide the stability and policy direction required to govern the country.

The APC chairman said President Tinubu had maintained a progressive political identity throughout his career, except during periods of political mergers. He also described Vice-President Kashim Shettima as having maintained a consistent political path.

According to Yilwatda, the Tinubu administration has taken difficult economic measures as part of efforts to attract investment, boost local production and reduce reliance on government interventions that he described as unsustainable.

He warned that reversing the reforms without presenting a credible alternative could weaken investor confidence and increase pressure on government finances.

Yilwatda urged Nigerians to examine the records and policy positions of presidential aspirants rather than accept promises designed mainly to win votes.

He also called for scrutiny of past disputes involving Atiku and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, including allegations linked to the privatisation programme conducted under the Obasanjo administration.

The APC chairman said issues of accountability and economic management should remain central to discussions ahead of the 2027 election.

He maintained that the election should focus on ideas, competence and credible policy alternatives rather than political promises that ignore the country’s economic realities.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to disclose details of the utilisation of the $5 billion financing facility secured from First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB).

Atiku said Nigerians, including future generations, would ultimately bear the responsibility of repaying the loan and therefore deserve to know how the funds are being deployed.

The former vice-president made the demand in a statement issued on Sunday through his media office, days after Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele said the Federal Government would not release details of how funds obtained from the facility would be spent.

Oyedele had made the statement during a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday while responding to questions about the government’s borrowing plans and the FAB financing arrangement.

The minister said the facility had passed the necessary approval procedures, including consideration by the National Assembly. He also argued that there was no reason to treat the financing differently from other sources of government funding.

The $5 billion facility forms part of a broader $6 billion external borrowing package approved by the National Assembly in March. The Federal Government has so far drawn about $1.5 billion from the FAB facility as its first tranche.

Atiku, however, criticised the government’s position, accusing the administration of poor financial management and a lack of transparency in its recent borrowing arrangements.

“Since assuming office on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has contracted significant new debt,” the statement reads.

“According to the Debt Management Office, the Tinubu administration has added N72 Trillion of fresh debt stock, bringing the total indebtedness to N159.35 trillion as at early 2026.”

Atiku said the increased borrowing had not translated into better living conditions or improved security for Nigerians.

He claimed that poverty had increased from 56 percent in 2023 to between 61 percent and 63 percent under the current administration, with more than 140 million Nigerians facing multidimensional poverty.

He also faulted Oyedele for rejecting demands for greater disclosure about the Abu Dhabi facility.

“The government is obliged to explain every loan taken on behalf of Nigerians,” Atiku said.

“Every Kobo borrowed matters because citizens — both living and unborn — will bear the burden of repayment. Yet these loans have failed to improve their material wellbeing.”

The former vice-president further raised concerns about the collateral requirements attached to the facility, saying the Federal Government was expected to pledge securities worth about 133 percent of the loan value.

He argued that such an arrangement made transparency over the loan more important.

Atiku also cited concerns previously raised by the International Monetary Fund and Fitch Ratings about the structure of the financing, particularly issues related to transparency and the sustainability of Nigeria’s sovereign debt.

He urged Nigerians to demand accountability from the government, warning that borrowing without clear evidence of economic benefits could weaken public confidence and create additional challenges for the country’s financial future.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation to release any disclosable records concerning President Bola Tinubu, arguing that the agency’s invocation of “danger to lives” as justification for withholding information rings hollow amid widespread suffering in Nigeria.

Atiku, who ran for president under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, that millions of Nigerians are already facing severe economic hardship and insecurity.

“The FBI says disclosure could endanger lives. Which lives? Nigerians are already dying,” Atiku stated.

The former vice president pointed to the three and a half years since Tinubu assumed office, citing economic policies that have intensified hardship across the country.

“In the past three and a half years since Tinubu became Nigeria’s President, he has pursued economic policies that have made his government a threat to the daily survival of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.

Atiku highlighted the impact of the fuel subsidy removal, describing it as “senseless” and carried out without a credible plan to protect ordinary citizens.

“Families that once managed three meals now struggle for one. Parents cannot afford medicines for sick children. Breadwinners are buckling under debt and unbearable economic pressure. This is the human cost of Tinubu’s senseless removal of fuel subsidy,” he added.

The former vice president questioned the administration’s celebration of the policy, asking: “When Tinubu boasts that subsidy is gone, Nigerians should ask him what exactly he is celebrating: the empty cooking pots, abandoned medical prescriptions, unaffordable transport fares or businesses struggling to survive?”

While clarifying that he did not seek disclosure of sensitive information that could compromise legitimate American law-enforcement operations, Atiku maintained that the FBI should not use safety concerns as a “bulletproof vest for Tinubu.”

“Protect your agents. Protect your sources. Protect legitimate investigative methods. Redact whatever American law genuinely requires you to redact,” he said. “But do not stretch those protections until they become a bulletproof vest for Tinubu.”

Atiku framed his demand as a humanitarian and democratic appeal rather than an attempt to interfere in Nigeria’s political affairs.

“Nigerians have a democratic right to know the history and character of the man who occupies their country’s highest office. Where information relevant to that legitimate public interest rests with American law enforcement and can lawfully be disclosed, the principles of openness and democratic accountability demand that it should not be unnecessarily hidden,” he stated.

The former vice president concluded: “Nigerians are not asking America to conduct our democracy for us. We are saying that American secrecy laws must not inadvertently become a sanctuary from accountability in Nigeria.”

Atiku reiterated his commitment to transparency, insisting that “if information can lawfully be released without endangering investigators, confidential sources or legitimate law-enforcement operations, release it.”

The FBI has not yet responded to Atiku’s latest comments.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the 2027 presidential election.

In the legal action, Atiku and the ADC are questioning the authenticity of the NYSC certificate submitted by President Tinubu to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They allege that the document bears the name “Tinubu Bola Adekunle” rather than the President’s widely recognized name, “Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” and are urging the court to scrutinize its validity.

The plaintiffs are specifically praying the court to mandate INEC to produce President Tinubu’s Form CF001, the affidavit of personal particulars submitted for the presidential election. Furthermore, they are seeking an order to disqualify both Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from partaking in the 2027 general elections if the court upholds their claims regarding the alleged discrepancy.