Atiku Abubakar has heightened his criticism of the Tinubu administration over the alleged financial management of the petroleum sector, demanding a full account of the N11.2 trillion recorded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) as receivables from the Federation.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku demanded that the government publish the contracts, payments and results associated with the expenditure, particularly the costs connected with protecting Nigeria’s oil and gas assets.
Atiku argued that Nigerians deserved to know how much of the money associated with oil and gas asset protection was actually spent, who received it and what results were achieved.
“Nigerians deserve to know how much of this enormous claim went to guarding pipelines, who received the money and what protection it bought,” Atiku argued.
Atiku maintained that a mother should not have to pray that her child survives the journey to school while her government cannot plainly explain the billions it spends on security, pointing out that Tinubu must answer to the people living with these choices.
“NNPC’s 2024 accounts recorded roughly N17.5 trillion across different claims on the Federation, including petrol under-recovery and other receivables linked to advances and asset protection. Its 2025 accounts now show approximately N11.2 trillion in other receivables from the Federation.
“Nigerians cannot tell from these totals what was spent on pipeline surveillance. What was paid? Who was paid? For what work? Where are the results?” Atiku asked.
He stressed that the scale of the imbalance is indefensible, explaining that in 2025 the Ministry of Defence received about N3.1 trillion, while NNPC recorded N11.2 trillion in other receivables from the Federation, more than three times the defence allocation.
These figures, he said, belong to different accounting categories, but stated that under Tinubu, sums tied to the oil sector dwarf the resources allocated to defend the country, describing it as a damning measure of this administration’s priorities.
Atiku said the need for answers extends beyond NNPC’s accounts to the relationship between government contractors and Tinubu’s re-election effort.
He also linked the issue to contracts awarded by the Tinubu administration, questioning whether companies connected to individuals supporting the president’s re-election had benefited from government contracts.
Atiku specifically cited Tantita Security Services, whose founder is Tompolo, in connection with pipeline surveillance, and the company associated with the Chagoury family in relation to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
He demanded that the government disclose the relevant contracts, payments and procurement processes and also disclose whether any contractors had provided financial or material support for Tinubu’s 2027 campaign.
“Look at the company Tinubu keeps. Tantita holds a pipeline security contract while its founder sends campaign vehicles out to seek another term for the President. The Chagourys’ company holds the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway contract, awarded without an open public tender.
“Tinubu’s government says it used restricted bidding. Then show us the invitations. Show us the competing bids. Show us the evaluation. Show us the contract. Why must Nigerians drag every document out of a government spending their money?
“And what are Nigerians to make of footage showing the Minister of Works greeting a Chagoury as ‘my chairman’? A minister’s chairman should be the Nigerian people. Tinubu must disclose what these contractors have received from the government and whether they have given a naira, a vehicle or any other support to his re-election,” he stated.
Atiku said a government asking hungry families to make sacrifices must be willing to account for every naira it claims on the public purse.
“The roads are bad. The economy is bad. There is no light. There is no safety. Families are hungry. Yet Tinubu calls this progress. Nigerians are struggling to buy food, praying for electricity and afraid to travel. Nigerians have had enough hardship dressed up as reform,” he insisted.
ADC Candidates: We ’ll Bring Back Fuel Subsidy
Also at the weekend, Atiku and Amaechi physically confronted the petrol-price issue when they stopped to refuel at an NNPC filling station in Guzape, Abuja.
The routine stop turned into an impromptu interaction with people at the station, who raised the issue of the ADC candidate’s promise to restore fuel subsidy. Amaechi, who was driving the vehicle, told the crowd that an Atiku administration would reduce petrol prices by bringing down production costs.
“We will reduce the cost of producing fuel. We will bring down the production cost, and this will make the price of petrol come down,” Amaechi said.
When the crowd pressed Atiku on his subsidy pledge, the former vice president responded in Hausa: “Zan dawo da tallafi insha Allah,” meaning, “I will bring back the fuel subsidy, by God’s grace.”
The declaration came less than two weeks after the presidency challenged Atiku to explain the legal, fiscal and practical basis of his proposal for a production subsidy on locally refined petrol. The State House had argued that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) provides for market-determined wholesale and retail prices unless statutory conditions for intervention are met.Here’s a tighter newspaper version, keeping the claims attributed and preserving the core figures and arguments in the statement.
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