Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns over an unauthorised payment made into one of his private bank accounts, alleging that the incident may indicate a compromise of his confidential banking information.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the transaction was described as a “Contribution Electioneering Campaign” but was neither solicited nor authorised by him or his campaign.
His concerns were contained in a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication.
According to the statement, the account into which the money was paid is a strictly private account whose details are not publicly available.
“The transfer originated from a person totally unknown to His Excellency.
“Neither His Excellency nor his campaign solicited, authorised or has any knowledge of the individual or entity behind the unauthorised payment,” the statement said.
Atiku questioned how an unidentified person obtained the 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.
The former vice-president expressed concern that the incident could have wider implications for the security and privacy of Nigerians’ financial information.
“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,” he said.
Atiku further expressed concern that the account details could have been obtained by individuals with privileged access to confidential banking information.
The statement said such access, if established, could expose account holders to criminal elements, including kidnappers, terrorists, bandits and fraudsters.
Atiku described the incident as part of what he termed “suspicious activities” occurring ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He, however, said the development would not distract him from his political ambitions or his commitment to providing an alternative leadership platform for Nigerians.
“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.”
The statement did not identify the individual or entity that allegedly made the payment, nor did it provide details of the bank involved or indicate whether the transaction had been reversed.
