Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to respond to questions reportedly raised by The Economist over $20bn worth of projects allegedly linked to his long-time associate, Gilbert Chagoury.
Atiku said the reported revelations had raised fresh concerns about the administration’s procurement practices and public accountability.
He made the demand in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
Atiku said the reported value of the projects was equivalent to about N27tn at prevailing exchange rates.
He argued that Nigerians deserved explanations on how projects of such magnitude became concentrated around businesses linked to a presidential associate.
“This is not pocket change. This is an amount approaching the scale of entire national budgets,” Atiku said.
He asked the Presidency to address specific questions concerning procurement, taxation and the relationship between political proximity and access to major government projects.
“The questions are simple: Who awarded these contracts? Were they competitively tendered? What tax concessions, waivers or privileges were granted?
“Who are the ultimate beneficial owners? And why does the same presidential associate keep appearing around projects worth billions of dollars?” he asked.
Atiku said the Presidency should directly respond to the issues instead of attacking critics through presidential spokespersons.
“The Economist is not an opposition party. It is not on the ballot in 2027. The President should answer the questions it has raised,” he stated.
The former Vice President linked the controversy to the wider economic hardship facing Nigerians.
He said citizens were being asked to endure higher taxes and rising living costs while questions remained over major government projects.
“You cannot preach sacrifice to hungry Nigerians while questions hang over ₦27 trillion worth of projects linked to your friend,” Atiku said.
“That is not reform. It is an assault on public trust.”
The allegations and questions raised by Atiku have not been established by a court, while the Presidency’s response to the specific claims was not contained in the statement.
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