By Deborah Nnamdi
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has called for an independent investigation into the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) disclosure that Nigeria omitted public expenditure equivalent to two per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from recent budgets, describing the revelation as evidence of entrenched institutional corruption under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the IMF’s findings, coupled with the controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), point to a disturbing pattern of opaque financial management within the Federal Government.
According to him, the omission of expenditure amounting to two per cent of the country’s GDP raises serious constitutional, legal, and moral concerns that require urgent explanation.
Citing Section 80 of the Nigerian Constitution, Atiku argued that no public funds should be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund without appropriation by the National Assembly.
“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?” he said.
He maintained that public funds could not simply disappear from the national budget without authorisation, insisting that those responsible must be identified and held accountable.
The former vice president further argued that the IMF’s disclosure reinforces concerns that the PFIPC controversy was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of institutional abuse and financial opacity.
He questioned how an agency that the Presidency reportedly denied establishing allegedly found its way into official government processes and budgetary allocations.
Atiku also criticised what he described as misplaced government priorities, alleging that while the Federal Ministry of Health reportedly received only ₦36 million in releases despite a budgetary allocation of over ₦218 billion, the controversial PFIPC was allegedly allocated about ₦1.3 billion.
He described the situation as evidence of “institutionalised corruption” rather than fiscal management.
The ADC presidential candidate also called on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, to explain how the PFIPC allegedly received official recognition, insisting that Nigerians deserve to know who authorised its operations within government.
Atiku further referenced allegations by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, a key figure in the PFIPC controversy, who claimed that the dispute arose after he allegedly refused a demand for a 48 per cent kickback from the Office of the Chief of Staff over the agency’s proposed ₦27.3 billion take-off grant.
He said the allegations were too serious to be dismissed without a transparent and independent investigation, adding that any official found culpable should be prosecuted regardless of status.
Calling for accountability, Atiku urged the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to thoroughly investigate the matter.
He concluded that Nigerians deserve full transparency over public spending, insisting that every expenditure must be accounted for and every official found responsible brought to justice.
