Atiku Demands Audit Trail for ₦750bn Cash Transfer Claim
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked President Bola Tinubu's government to produce verifiable transaction records for the Federal Government's conditional cash-transfer scheme. His demand follows a claim by the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, that more than 10 million Nigerians had each collected ₦75,000.
Yilwatda spoke to journalists on September 26, 2026, after an APC National Executive Council retreat held in Maiduguri, Borno State. According to him, the recipients were poor and vulnerable Nigerians, many of whom do not own mobile phones, television sets or have access to social media.
"We have given 75,000 naira to over 10 million Nigerians across the country using the conditional cash transfer under the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction," Yilwatda said.
If 10 million people each received ₦75,000, the total outlay would come to no less than ₦750 billion.
Atiku is now pressing the administration to explain how the funds were identified, processed and delivered, especially in communities where insecurity complicates access.
The former vice president said that if he were in government, his priorities would be affordability, public accountability and the protection of life.
"From my first day in office, I will put affordability and the protection of life at the centre of government," Atiku said. "We will begin bringing down the costs of food, fuel and power, improving access to healthcare and education, and restoring security to communities living in fear. I will account for public spending and measure progress by what Nigerians can afford and whether they can live safely."
He then addressed the cash-transfer figures put forward by the APC chairman.
"Then there is your party chairman's claim that more than 10 million Nigerians received ₦75,000 each in cash transfers—at least ₦750 billion in all," Atiku said.
"Professor Yilwatda says many beneficiaries have no phones. So how did your government identify, contact and pay them, particularly in parts of Yobe and Borno where insecurity makes access difficult?"
Atiku asked whether the money was handed over in person or moved through financial institutions, and insisted that documentation should exist for either route.
"Did officials deliver the money by hand? If so, who delivered it and where are the receipts? If it went into bank accounts, show the transaction records," he asked.
The former vice president made clear that what he wants is a traceable payment record, not the release of beneficiaries' personal details.
"Nigerians are not asking you to expose poor families. They are asking for an auditable account of how the money reached them," he said.
"If you could find ten million people to pay, you can account for the payments."
The latest demand comes after an earlier disagreement over the size of the Federal Government's cash-transfer programme. In August, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, said more than ₦600 billion had been disbursed in cash transfers over three years, covering slightly more than 10 million households.
to like, bookmark, and comment.
Comments
Join the conversation:
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.