Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has questioned the source of funds for the reported distribution of 2026-model luxury sports utility vehicles (SUVs), valued at more than ₦150 million each, to leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) youth wing.
Atiku demanded an explanation from President Bola Tinubu and the Presidency over the reported gifts, asking whether the vehicles were purchased with private funds, donations or public resources.
He argued that the alleged distribution of expensive vehicles to political loyalists was insensitive at a time when millions of Nigerians were struggling with rising food prices, transportation costs and other economic challenges.
The former vice-president made his position known in a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.
According to Atiku, the APC National Youth Leader reportedly attributed the vehicles to a donation by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, raising questions about the source of funding and the total cost of the exercise.
“The APC National Youth Leader says these vehicles were donated by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu. Nigerians deserve to know where the money came from to buy and distribute so many 2026 model SUVs, each worth more than ₦150 million, for political mobilisation,” he said.
Atiku called on the Presidency to provide a public account of the reported donation, including the identity of the financier and the total amount spent on the vehicles.
“The Presidency must provide a clear account. Nigerians cannot be expected to accept a fleet of extraordinarily expensive vehicles for party loyalists without knowing who financed them,” he said.
He questioned whether the vehicles were purchased with the First Lady’s personal funds or through donations, insisting that Nigerians deserved transparency over spending of such magnitude.
Atiku also argued that the reported gifts raised concerns about the priorities of the administration, particularly amid the economic hardship facing households across the country.
“At a time families cannot afford food, transport and other basic necessities, these gifts are a brazen insult to the people,” he said.
“The government has found a way to provide luxury SUVs for APC youth leaders, yet millions of Nigerians are still waiting for meaningful relief from the cost of living crisis.”
The ADC presidential candidate described the reported distribution as a matter requiring public accountability, arguing that the government should explain how such expensive political gifts were funded.
“This is not merely a question of misplaced priorities. It is one of the most outlandish displays of executive recklessness in our history,” he said.
Atiku further alleged that the reported vehicle distribution followed an earlier round of luxury vehicle gifts to APC women leaders, raising questions about the scale of spending on party officials.
“First, APC women leaders reportedly received luxury vehicles. Now, according to the National Youth Leader, APC youth leaders are receiving SUVs from the First Lady,” he said.
He also linked the controversy to broader concerns about hunger, insecurity and the government’s response to the economic consequences of the removal of the petrol subsidy.
“While Nigerians continue to ask where the savings from subsidy removal have gone, the Presidency must explain how such costly gifts are being funded,” Atiku said.
He maintained that if the vehicles were purchased privately, the source of the funds should be disclosed, while any use of public resources should be accompanied by details of who authorised the expenditure and the legal basis for it.
“If the vehicles were paid for privately, the source of the funds should be disclosed. If public resources were used, the government must identify who authorised the spending and under what legal authority,” he said.
Atiku warned that the reported scale of the donations could raise concerns about the use of wealth and influence to secure political loyalty.
“The scale of these gifts raises grave questions about whether our collective patrimony is being diverted to buy political loyalty,” he said.
“Nigeria cannot be run as a captured state, where wealth and influence serve the powerful while ordinary citizens are left to struggle.”
The former vice-president also questioned reports that the APC youth leader travelled by private jet, arguing that such displays of privilege contrasted sharply with the economic difficulties confronting ordinary Nigerians.
He said public officials and political leaders should be prepared to answer questions about the sources of their wealth and the funding of expensive political activities.
“The Presidency must stop treating questions about wealth and spending as an inconvenience. Nigerians have a right to ask where the money came from,” Atiku said.
He further extended his criticism to the President’s family, referring to widely circulated images of Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, wearing a Richard Mille RM 67-02 Sébastien Ogier wristwatch, which the statement claimed was worth close to $500,000.
Atiku cited the reported value of the timepiece as another example of what he described as the contrast between displays of wealth among influential individuals and the hardship experienced by many Nigerians.
The ADC campaign council said the Presidency should address the questions surrounding the reported vehicle donations and clarify whether public funds were involved.
The allegations and questions were contained in a statement issued by Shaibu on behalf of Atiku’s presidential campaign council. The statement did not include a response from the Presidency or the First Lady to the claims.