Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns after an unknown individual allegedly transferred money into one of his private bank accounts without his knowledge or approval, describing the development as a serious breach of financial privacy.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the payment, labelled “Contribution Electioneering Campaign,” was neither solicited nor authorised by him or his campaign. He stressed that the account is a strictly private one whose details are not publicly available, raising questions about how an unknown person gained access to the confidential banking information.
Describing the incident as “deeply troubling,” Atiku said, “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.”
He further questioned, “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?”
The former vice-president warned that if the banking details of a former vice-president and presidential candidate could be accessed by unknown persons, the financial privacy of ordinary Nigerians could also be at risk. He said, “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 also cautioned that if the information was obtained by people with privileged access, it would amount to “a grave abuse of power capable of exposing the account holder to kidnappers, terrorists, bandits, fraudsters and other criminal elements.”
Atiku linked the incident to what he described as a pattern of suspicious developments ahead of the 2027 general election but maintained that it would not derail his political ambition.
“As political activities gather momentum, Nigerians should not be distracted by these tired tactics that smack of character assassination. 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,” he said.
