Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of either being complicit in or unaware of alleged irregularities in the implementation of the 2026 budget following reports that billions of naira allocated to an Almajiri education agency were earmarked for road construction projects.
Atiku said the latest revelations, alongside allegations surrounding the controversial Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Projects Council, point to what he described as a pattern of budget manipulation and abuse of public funds under the current administration.
The former vice president was reacting to reports alleging that the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education received budgetary allocations worth billions of naira for road construction projects, despite such projects falling outside the agency’s statutory responsibilities.
Meanwhile, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has called for a judicial inquiry into the controversy surrounding the alleged fake Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Projects Council.
Speaking during an interview, Lawal argued that the controversy reflects deeper institutional failures rather than a mere administrative mistake.
According to him, the circumstances surrounding the alleged agency suggest the existence of a broader network that enabled it to operate within government processes despite questions over its legal status.
Lawal also questioned reports of an alleged ₦27.5 billion take-off grant linked to the agency, asking how such funds could have been approved and released if the organisation lacked legal backing.
The allegations have sparked fresh concerns over transparency and accountability in the management of public funds, with calls mounting for a thorough investigation into the claims.
“There is an institutional compromise. A big racket is going on. If the agency was created by just one person, how was a budget assigned to an agency that doesn’t exist? Agencies defend budgets; if they didn’t exist, how was the budget allowed to pass? There are different steps… pic.twitter.com/o5vzEqVkQ3
— TheCable (@thecableng) July 7, 2026
