Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to publicly disclose the full procurement details of 39 Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) valued at ₦15.13 billion in the 2026 Federal Budget.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Nigerians deserve full transparency over the expenditure, especially following concerns raised by public accountability organisation Tracka.
According to Atiku, Tracka’s analysis indicates that the budget allocation translates to approximately ₦387 million per SUV, raising questions about the procurement process.
“If those vehicles have already been procured, the government should immediately publish the make, model, year of manufacture, supplier, contract details and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), popularly known as the chassis number, of each of the 39 vehicles,” Atiku said.
He added that if the procurement is still ongoing, the Federal Government should explain why such a major purchase has not been completed months into the fiscal year.
The former vice president questioned what type of vehicles could justify the reported cost, listing several ultra-luxury brands and asking whether such vehicles were actually purchased with public funds.
“If none of these ultra-luxury vehicles was purchased, then what exactly justifies such an extraordinary price tag?” he queried.
Atiku also questioned the President’s role in approving the budget, arguing that the controversy raises broader concerns about accountability and governance.
He further referenced Tracka’s report, which identified ₦947.70 billion allocated to 2,579 empowerment projects, saying Nigerians deserve to know where the projects will be executed, who the beneficiaries are and how contractors were selected.
According to him, a government asking citizens to endure economic hardship must also demonstrate transparency in its spending.
“The easiest way to silence suspicion is transparency. Publish the procurement documents. Publish the invoices. Publish the suppliers. Publish the chassis numbers,” Atiku stated.
He maintained that every public expenditure must be properly accounted for, insisting that Nigerians have the right to demand accountability for the use of public funds.
