Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the Federal Government to investigate and prosecute him if it has evidence linking him to alleged irregularities involving about $16 billion spent on power projects during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of reviving old allegations as a distraction from questions over how the government has used revenues saved following the removal of the petrol subsidy.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Nigerians were facing rising petrol, transport and food costs despite increased government revenues.
He challenged the government to produce evidence of wrongdoing, insisting that previous investigations had never resulted in his prosecution.
> “If there is evidence that I stole public money, why has no government produced it before a court?” Atiku asked.
He said he was willing to be investigated, invited and prosecuted if authorities had a genuine case against him, arguing that political attacks could not replace evidence.
Presidency Accuses Atiku of Policy Contradictions
The Presidency, however, criticised Atiku over his position on fuel subsidies.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Atiku and his aides had offered different explanations about whether a future ADC administration would restore and eventually remove petrol subsidies.
Onanuga said Atiku initially appeared to support restoring the subsidy before phasing it out, while another aide described that interpretation as misleading. Atiku later said he would restore a targeted subsidy aimed at improving Nigerians’ purchasing power.
The Presidency demanded details of the proposal, including its cost, beneficiaries, funding source and conditions for ending it.
Onanuga also argued that petrol prices were not the only factor responsible for Nigeria’s high cost of living, pointing to insecurity, exchange rates, logistics, flooding and agricultural costs.
APC Challenges Atiku to Go to Court
The All Progressives Congress also challenged Atiku to provide evidence for his allegation that “thieves” were responsible for Nigeria’s political and economic problems.
APC Director of Publicity Bala Ibrahim said Atiku should take his allegations to court if he had evidence to support them.
Students Reject Subsidy Restoration
The National Association of Nigerian Students criticised Atiku’s proposal to restore fuel subsidies, describing it as a political response to economic hardship rather than a sustainable solution.
NANS President Akinteye Babatunde said the previous subsidy system had placed a heavy burden on government finances, encouraged smuggling and disproportionately benefited people who consumed more fuel.
He argued that the focus should instead be on ensuring that savings from subsidy removal are properly invested in education, healthcare, infrastructure and agriculture.
The dispute over fuel subsidies and government spending is expected to become a major issue as political parties prepare for the 2027 presidential election.
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