Atiku Challenges Tinubu Over IMF Report, Demands Answers on ‘Missing’ 2% of Nigeria’s GDP

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for a comprehensive investigation following a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) disclosure that Nigeria excluded public expenditure equivalent to about two per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from recent budget documents.

In a statement issued on Saturday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the IMF’s findings as a serious constitutional and governance issue, alleging that they point to a pattern of institutional corruption under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to Atiku, Nigeria’s Constitution requires that all withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund receive approval through the National Assembly’s appropriation process. He argued that any expenditure made outside that framework raises critical questions about accountability and transparency.

“If expenditure amounting to two per cent of Nigeria’s GDP was omitted from the budget process, Nigerians deserve to know who authorised it, who spent it, and who benefited from it,” he stated.

The former Vice President also linked the IMF’s findings to the recent controversy surrounding the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), describing both developments as evidence of what he called a troubling pattern in the management of public finances.

He questioned reports suggesting that while the Federal Ministry of Health received only a fraction of its approved funding for critical healthcare programmes, billions of naira were allegedly allocated to the controversial PFIPC, an agency the Presidency has reportedly denied officially establishing.

Atiku further insisted that government agencies could not have recognised or processed official activities involving such a body without authorisation from the highest levels of government. He therefore called on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, to publicly clarify how the agency allegedly gained official recognition.

The former presidential candidate also referred to allegations made by Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, who reportedly claimed that disagreements arose after he refused to approve an alleged 48 per cent kickback request connected to a proposed ₦27.3 billion take-off grant for the council.

Describing the allegation as grave, Atiku urged the Federal Government to institute an independent and transparent investigation.

“If the allegations are false, the government should clear its name through an open investigation. If they are true, every official involved should face the full weight of the law,” he said.

The Waziri of Adamawa further argued that the controversy comes at a time when Nigerians are grappling with economic hardship driven by subsidy removal, rising inflation, increasing electricity tariffs, higher taxes, and continued government borrowing.

He maintained that citizens deserve transparency regarding the management of public resources, warning that confidence in government cannot be sustained where significant public expenditure remains outside official budget records.

Calling on oversight institutions—including the National Assembly, the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)—Atiku urged them to investigate the IMF’s findings and establish the facts.

He concluded by saying that the issue goes beyond partisan politics, insisting that it concerns constitutional governance, fiscal accountability, and the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

As of the time of filing this report, the Federal Government had not issued a formal response to Atiku’s latest remarks regarding the IMF disclosure.