Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has raised serious concerns over the allocation of N6.44 billion in the 2026 budget for a "Special Presidential Support Group for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers," demanding an independent investigation into the expenditure just days after the Federal Government confirmed Nigeria's failure to qualify for the tournament. In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku questioned the logic behind the provision, noting that Nigeria had already been eliminated from the qualification process in November 2025, about one month before the 2026 budget was presented to and considered by the National Assembly. "How does a serious government budget N6.44 billion for presidential support for World Cup qualifiers after the country had already been eliminated? What competition was the money intended to support? Who inserted the provision, who approved it, and who was expected to benefit from an expenditure whose stated purpose had already ceased to exist?" Atiku queried.
The former vice president described the allocation as not merely an example of poor judgment but a damning indictment of the integrity of the budgeting process, saying it reinforced public suspicion that the national budget had become a warehouse for dubious expenditures, fiscal waste, and allocations without any defensible public purpose. Nigeria's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup was confirmed in November 2025 when the Super Eagles lost to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the African play-off final, marking the second consecutive World Cup the three-time African champions would miss. The team had finished second in Group C behind South Africa, winning four, drawing five and losing one in ten games to end with 17 points. Atiku linked the World Cup allocation to the wider controversy surrounding the phantom Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, which he said had allegedly penetrated the highest levels of government, obtained diplomatic recognition and accreditation, recruited more than 300 personnel, secured office accommodation at the Federal Secretariat, and reportedly received budgetary allocations, including an alleged N1.3 billion provision in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
Atiku maintained that such extensive operations could not have occurred without either active official collaboration or a catastrophic breakdown of oversight across multiple government institutions. "The scandal is not merely that one man allegedly impersonated public authority. The greater scandal is that the Tinubu administration allegedly opened the doors of the Nigerian state to him, allowed him to acquire the appearance and privileges of official legitimacy, and permitted him to interact with institutions and diplomatic interests in the name of the Federal Government," Atiku stated. He also alleged that the Tinubu administration was planning to manipulate the narrative around the PFIPC scandal, absolve those within the government who ought to answer questions, and manufacture a politically convenient story against the opposition.
Atiku reiterated his demand for an independent investigation, arguing that an administration whose senior officials have been mentioned in the controversy cannot credibly investigate itself behind closed doors. He expressed reservations about the Federal Government's decision to have the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission investigate the matter, arguing that a probe conducted by agencies under the executive may not inspire public confidence. The former vice president called on the National Assembly to constitute a bipartisan panel to investigate every aspect of the PFIPC controversy and appealed to the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organisations, the diplomatic community and other stakeholders to support a transparent process. "Nigerians deserve to know who authorised the PFIPC, how it allegedly gained access to government institutions, who facilitated its operations and whether public funds were allocated to it. The country deserves a credible investigation that establishes the facts and strengthens public confidence in governance," Atiku said.
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