Isaac Samuel
Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has raised the alarm over an unauthorised payment made into one of his private bank accounts.
Atiku said the transaction, described as “Contribution Electioneering Campaign,” was neither solicited nor authorised by him or his campaign.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice-president said the development was “deeply troubling”, particularly because the affected account is a private one whose details are not publicly available.
“The transfer originated from a person totally unknown to His Excellency,” the statement said.
“Neither His Excellency nor his campaign solicited, authorised or has any knowledge of the individual or entity behind the unauthorised payment.”
Atiku questioned how the unidentified person obtained details of his private bank account.
“The account is a strictly private one whose details are not in the public domain. This raises a fundamental question: How did unknown persons obtain the confidential banking details of a private citizen?” he asked.
‘No Nigerian’s Financial Privacy Is Safe’
The ADC presidential candidate said the incident raised broader concerns about the protection of Nigerians’ financial information.
He warned that if the private banking details of a former vice-president and presidential candidate could be accessed by unknown individuals, the financial privacy of ordinary Nigerians could also be vulnerable.
“If the private banking information of a former Vice President and a leading presidential candidate can be accessed and deployed for reasons yet unknown, then no Nigerian’s financial privacy is safe,” Atiku said.
He expressed concern that the account details might have been obtained by individuals with privileged access to confidential banking information.
“If established, this would amount to a grave abuse of power capable of exposing the account holder to kidnappers, terrorists, bandits, fraudsters and other criminal elements,” the statement added.
Atiku described the development as one of a series of what he termed “suspicious activities” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, he said the incident would not distract him from his political objectives.
“As political activities gather momentum, Nigerians should not be distracted by these tired tactics that smack of character assassination,” he said.
“Such desperate antics have failed before and will fail again. The Waziri Adamawa remains focused on offering Nigerians credible leadership and practical solutions to the nation’s challenges.”
