Atiku Abubakar Raises Alarm Over N6.44bn World Cup Budget, Demands Probe

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed concern over the allocation of N6.44 billion in the 2026 budget for the World Cup, which Nigeria failed to qualify for. According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, this allocation is questionable, especially since Nigeria's elimination from the World Cup qualifiers occurred in November 2025, a month before the 2026 budget was presented to the National Assembly. Atiku questioned the rationale behind budgeting such a large sum for a tournament Nigeria is not participating in, asking '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 also linked this development to the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council scandal, describing the recent arrest of Adeniyi Adeyemi, the self-styled Director-General of the PFIPC, as a move to extract statements that could implicate opposition figures rather than uncover the truth. He emphasized that the PFIPC controversy goes beyond Adeyemi's actions, highlighting the organization's penetration into high levels of government, its diplomatic recognition, and alleged budgetary allocations, including N1.3 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Act. Atiku stressed that such operations could not have occurred without official collaboration or a significant breakdown in oversight. He called for an independent, transparent, and impartial investigation into the PFIPC scandal and the 2026 federal budget, citing allegations of profligacy and questionable appropriations. Atiku warned that the PFIPC scandal must not be swept under the carpet and that the Tinubu administration's handling of the issue could further embarrass Nigeria's international reputation.