Atiku fires back at Tinubu over fresh allegations, issues strong challenge

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to investigate and prosecute him if it possesses evidence connecting him to any wrongdoing in the controversial $16 billion power sector expenditure.

Atiku argued that there would be no reason for allegations against him to keep resurfacing decades after he left office if successive administrations genuinely had evidence of misconduct.

He made the statement in a Wednesday release issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

The former Vice President accused the Tinubu administration and its supporters of recycling old allegations in an attempt to divert attention from increasing calls for accountability over funds reportedly saved following the removal of petrol subsidy.

According to Atiku, the National Assembly had previously conducted investigations into the power projects, but he was never invited to answer any allegations of wrongdoing.

“I chaired the National Council on Privatisation as Vice President, but I did not oversee the implementation of the power projects. The responsible minister did,” Atiku said.

He maintained that the same explanation applied to the Aluminium Smelter issue.

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, said he had on several occasions called for an investigation whenever credible allegations were made against him.

He reiterated that he was prepared to submit himself to investigation and prosecution if the government could produce evidence establishing a case against him.

“It is still not too late. Investigate me. Invite me. Produce the evidence. Prosecute me if you have a case. But propaganda cannot substitute for evidence,” he said.

Atiku further alleged that the renewed accusations were being used to shift public attention away from the economic difficulties Nigerians have experienced since the removal of petrol subsidy.

He recalled that Nigerians were assured that ending the subsidy would release funds for development, but argued that citizens had instead been confronted with rising living costs.

The former Vice President also demanded greater clarity on how the additional revenue generated after the subsidy removal was being spent.

“So, our question remains brutally simple: where is the people’s money?” Atiku asked.

He also questioned the continued provision of fiscal incentives, waivers, tax credits and concessions to major economic interests.

Atiku accused the administration of operating a double standard by withdrawing what he described as relief available to poorer Nigerians while justifying financial interventions benefiting powerful economic interests as incentives.

The ADC presidential candidate also dismissed attacks against him on social media, insisting that such criticism would not prevent him from demanding accountability or promoting policies designed to improve Nigerians’ purchasing power.

“The people who removed subsidy from the poor cannot frighten us into silence by resurrecting allegations that governments with all the investigative machinery of the Nigerian state have had nearly two decades to establish,” he said.

Atiku called on the government to either provide evidence, investigate and prosecute him, or end what he described as efforts to create distractions from more pressing economic concerns.

“You removed the subsidy. You collected the savings. Where is the money?” he queried.

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