Atiku’s Aide Blasts Tinubu Govt as Incompetent Over ₦1.3bn Ghost Agency Scandal

A senior aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticised the Tinubu administration, describing the allocation of over ₦1.3 billion to a non-existent presidential council as “clear proof of alarming incompetence and reckless governance.”

The strong remarks come after civil society group SERAP petitioned President Bola Tinubu to investigate the suspicious budgetary provision for the so-called “Presidential Council on Digital Economy and Sustainable Development,” which appears to have no legal existence, operational structure, or appointed members.

Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar, said the scandal further exposes what he called a dangerous pattern of opacity and poor oversight in the current administration.

“This is not a mere clerical error. Allocating such a huge sum to a ghost agency while millions of Nigerians battle extreme poverty and hunger is not just reckless , it is criminal,” Ibe stated. “It proves that this government is either grossly incompetent or deliberately running an opaque system where public funds can vanish without trace.”

The aide argued that while the administration continues to ask Nigerians to endure economic hardship under the banner of “necessary reforms,” it has failed to show basic due diligence in its own spending. He questioned how a council that does not exist could receive such a substantial allocation in the national budget.

“This fake agency saga validates everything we have said about the lack of transparency in this government,” Ibe added. “Nigerians deserve to know who approved this money, where it has gone, and who is benefiting from it.”

The controversy first surfaced after an audit of the 2025 and 2026 budgets revealed the allocation. SERAP had demanded a full forensic investigation, warning that such “ghost projects” are often used as conduits for corruption.

The Presidency had earlier denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the IMF’s observations on Nigeria’s fiscal reporting were being misrepresented for political purposes. However, the fresh attack from Atiku’s camp is likely to intensify calls for an independent probe into off-budget expenditures and untraceable allocations.

As the 2027 election cycle gathers pace, the opposition is increasingly focusing on issues of fiscal transparency, waste, and accountability, using cases like the alleged “ghost council” to portray the Tinubu administration as out of touch with the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.

The Presidency is yet to issue a direct response to the latest statement from Atiku’s media team.