The All Progressives Congress (APC) has lambasted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over an accusation that President Bola Tinubu’s administration spent ₦50 million to buy away opposition groups before of the 2027 election.
On Monday, Atiku made the charge while speaking as a panelist at a national conference on improving Nigerian democracy in Abuja.
He said:
“I intend to make this public. I spoke with leaders of an opposing political group, and they freely confessed that the government paid them N50 million apiece.
In an interview with Punch, APC National Publicity Director Bala Ibrahim expressed dismay in Atiku, stating that an elder statesman like him should not be seen making flippant claims.
In his own words:
“From what I understand of the law, the presumption is that you are innocent unless proven otherwise. Until Atiku Abubakar can establish and verify this bribery accusation, his submission has no basis for recognition. So he needs to do more than just make allegations.
“He must provide facts and proof as to who supplied the money, who received it, where it was given, and for what purpose. Unless that is done, everything he says is an allegation, and those allegations will be flimsy until he can support and prove them. These are people who are highly valued by society.