Atiku raises dust over unknown transfer to his private bank account, alleges breach

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns over what he described as a suspicious credit into one of his private bank accounts, alleging that his confidential banking details may have been compromised.

In a statement issued on Friday by his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the transfer was made by an unknown individual with the narration, “Contribution Electioneering Campaign.” He maintained that neither he nor his campaign authorised, requested or had prior knowledge of the payment.

According to the statement, the account is strictly private and its details are not publicly available, raising concerns about how unknown persons obtained the banking information. Atiku warned that the development raised broader questions about the safety of Nigerians’ financial privacy.

“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. If established, this would amount to a grave abuse of power capable of exposing the account holder to kidnappers, terrorists, bandits, fraudsters and other criminal elements,” the statement read.

The former vice president also expressed concern that the account details may have been obtained through individuals with privileged access, describing such a possibility as deeply disturbing.

Atiku said security agencies and the Nigerian public had been notified of the incident, which he described as one of several suspicious developments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He urged Nigerians not to be distracted by what he called attempts to tarnish his reputation as political activities gather momentum, insisting that such tactics had failed in the past and would fail again.

The ADC presidential candidate pledged his commitment to offering what he described as credible leadership and practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges, saying he remained focused on his political mission despite the latest development.