Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has rejected what he described as a coordinated campaign of personal attacks from the Presidency, stating the administration's refusal to address questions about President Bola Tinubu's public records only strengthens the case for greater transparency. Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, issued the statement on Wednesday, July 23, 2026, in response to an earlier Presidency release that targeted the former Vice President directly. A statement cited by Legit.
ng on Thursday, July 23, Shaibu said the Presidency had responded to legitimate public inquiries with political mudslinging rather than factual answers. From breaking news to viral moments. Follow Legit.
ng on Instagram. The former Vice President pushed back against the suggestion that raising questions drawn from publicly available records amounted to an attack on Nigeria's sovereignty. Atiku also challenged what he called a contradiction at the heart of the administration's position, noting that a government actively courting foreign investment, international loans, and global ratings could not reasonably portray scrutiny from abroad as foreign interference.
Tinubu challenged to publish Trump 'endorsement' letter or stop deceiving Nigerians On the argument that winning an election settles all questions of conduct, Atiku was direct. He closed the statement by spelling out the specific question he wants answered. Atiku urged the Presidency to set aside its combative approach and present the facts directly.
Shehu Sani sounds alarm over opposition's US lobby against Tinubu Meanwhile, Legit. ng reported that Atiku described the 2026 Federal Budget as the most brazen assault on transparency in Nigeria's democratic history. The Service-Wide Vote in the 2026 Appropriation Act ballooned from ₦638 billion to ₦12.
8 trillion, a near 1,918% rise in one year. Atiku demanded the National Assembly launch a line-by-line investigation into the allocations and questioned who the workers earning ₦2. 19 trillion in personnel costs are.