Atiku Demands Independent Investigation Into ₦6.44 Billion Budget Allocation for World Cup Qualifiers
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has called for an independent investigation into a controversial ₦6.44 billion budgetary allocation earmarked for a 'Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.' The allocation was included in the national budget despite Nigeria’s elimination from the qualification process in November 2025, roughly a month before the 2026 budget was presented to the National Assembly.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku questioned how any serious administration could earmark such a massive sum for a defunct campaign. He demanded absolute transparency regarding who inserted the provision, who approved it, and who stood to benefit from an expenditure whose stated purpose had already ceased to exist.
Atiku Questions Integrity of Budget Process
“How does a serious government budget ₦6.44 billion for presidential support for World Cup qualifiers after the country had already been eliminated? What competition was the money intended to support? Who inserted the provision, who approved it and who was expected to benefit from an expenditure whose stated purpose had already ceased to exist?” Atiku queried.
He characterized the allocation as a damning indictment of the integrity of the national budgeting process, suggesting it validates public suspicion that the budget has been treated as a warehouse for fiscal waste and indefensible expenditures.
Link to PFIPC Controversy
Atiku directly linked this World Cup allocation to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC). He accused the administration of attempting to manipulate the narrative, shield implicated officials, and shift blame toward political opponents.
The recent arrest of the self-styled Director-General of the PFIPC, Adeniyi Adeyemi, was described as a calculated move designed to extract statements to implicate opposition figures rather than uncover the actual truth of the matter.
PFIPC Operations Suggest Official Collaboration
Atiku argued that the PFIPC operations could not have been carried out by a single individual, noting that the organization reportedly managed to secure diplomatic recognition, recruit over 300 personnel, occupy office space at the Federal Secretariat, and even secure a substantial ₦1.3 billion allocation in the 2026 Appropriation Act. Such extensive operations indicate either active official collaboration or a severe, systemic breakdown of oversight across multiple federal institutions.
Call for Independent Bipartisan Panel
Consequently, Atiku maintained that the executive branch cannot credibly investigate a scandal involving its own senior officials behind closed doors, especially when the executive is ordering fresh administrative inquiries into matters that are already before a court of competent jurisdiction. To ensure true accountability, he urged the National Assembly to immediately establish an independent, bipartisan panel to investigate all aspects of the PFIPC scandal.
He also called on the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organizations, and the diplomatic community to reject any state-managed cover-ups, emphasizing that the truth must not be sacrificed for political expediency.
