Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and governors elected on the party’s platform of diverting public funds to finance campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election.
At the same time, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) described the alleged diversion of public resources as “shameless, cruel, and criminal,” while ActionAid Nigeria called for the impeachment of any governor found guilty of using state funds for political purposes.
The allegations follow recent reports of disputes within the APC Governors’ Forum over the handling of Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds and alleged political spending linked to the 2027 elections.
Although the forum denied claims of internal crisis and no anti-corruption agency has announced a formal investigation into the allegations, Atiku accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of working with APC governors to redirect public resources into accounts allegedly designated for the president’s re-election campaign.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, and posted on Tuesday, Atiku alleged that funds meant for governance and public welfare were being channelled into “dedicated accounts” for political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 polls.
He argued that the alleged diversion was worsening economic hardship, insecurity, and poverty across the country, adding that Nigerians were bearing the consequences of poor management of public resources.
According to the former vice president, the allegations also explained the growing tensions reportedly emerging among APC governors.
“The Tinubu-led APC administration is in cahoots with APC governors to divert your resources to dedicated accounts for Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign,” Atiku said.
He further claimed that disagreements within the Progressive Governors’ Forum were linked to disputes over access to and control of the alleged funds.
Atiku also warned that Nigerians would ultimately bear responsibility if they returned the ruling party to office despite the country’s economic challenges.
ADC Demands Probe Over Alleged FAAC Diversion
Reacting to reports that APC governors allegedly diverted Federation Account Allocation Committee funds to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, the ADC described the allegations as evidence of political corruption at a time millions of Nigerians were struggling with worsening economic conditions.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party alleged that more than N800 billion had been raised through deductions from FAAC allocations for political purposes.
According to the ADC, the allegations reinforced long-standing concerns that the government was using public resources to build a political “war chest” for 2027 while urging citizens to endure economic hardship caused by its policies.
“Under this APC government, states are receiving more money than at any other period in Nigeria’s history, yet Nigerians are poorer, hungrier, and more desperate than ever before,” Abdullahi said.
“Roads are still collapsing. Hospitals are still empty. Schools are still underfunded. Workers are underpaid. Communities remain unsafe. The only thing growing is the political appetite of the ruling party.”
The ADC spokesman argued that if the allegations were true, the diversion of FAAC allocations amounted to “a direct theft of resources belonging to the Nigerian people.”
“FAAC allocations are meant for development, salaries, healthcare, education, infrastructure, security, and the welfare of citizens, not for financing the re-election plans of one man,” he said.
“To divert public allocations into political accounts while citizens cannot afford food is wickedness on an industrial scale.”
The opposition party further claimed the allegations explained why many APC governors appeared more focused on political calculations than governance despite increased state revenues following fuel subsidy removal and currency devaluation policies.
“The same government that told Nigerians there is no money to reduce suffering somehow found a way to allegedly mobilise over N800 billion for politics,” Abdullahi added.
“The same government asking citizens to endure sacrifice is allegedly supervising one of the largest political funding operations in Nigeria’s democratic history. This is not leadership. This is exploitation.”
The ADC called for an immediate independent investigation into the allegations, including the reported use of FAAC deductions and any related accounts allegedly linked to the operation.
According to the party, Nigerians deserved clarity on whether funds allocated to states and local governments had been diverted for partisan political activities.
“If these allegations are true, then this represents a dangerous abuse of public trust and a scandal of enormous national consequence,” Abdullahi stated.
“You cannot impoverish the people to fund your own re-election. Nigerians are not blind. Nigerians are not fools. And Nigerians will remember.”
