‘Investigate, Prosecute Me Over $16bn Power Funds’ – Atiku Challenges Tinubu

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has challenged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to investigate and prosecute him if it has evidence linking him to any wrongdoing in the controversial $16 billion power sector expenditure.

Atiku said he was prepared to face any investigation if the government could establish a credible case against him, insisting that allegations without evidence should not continue to be used for political attacks.

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, made his position known in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.

‘Produce Evidence Against Me’

Atiku questioned why the allegations had continued to resurface several years after he left office if successive governments had genuine evidence of wrongdoing against him.

He recalled that the National Assembly had previously investigated the power sector projects but said he was never invited to answer questions over any alleged misconduct.

“I chaired the National Council on Privatisation as Vice President, but I did not oversee the implementation of the power projects. The responsible minister did,” Atiku said.

He said the same applied to the controversy surrounding the Aluminium Smelter matter.

The former Vice President maintained that he had repeatedly challenged successive administrations to investigate him whenever credible allegations were made against him.

“It is still not too late. Investigate me. Invite me. Produce the evidence. Prosecute me if you have a case. But propaganda cannot substitute for evidence,” he said.

The former Vice President accused the Tinubu administration and its supporters of reviving old allegations as a way of diverting attention from questions surrounding the use of funds saved from the removal of petrol subsidy.

According to him, Nigerians were told that removing the subsidy would free up huge resources for development, but the reality facing citizens has been rising living costs and declining purchasing power.

Atiku therefore demanded an explanation of how the additional revenue generated since the subsidy removal had been spent.

“So, our question remains brutally simple: where is the people’s money?” he asked.

He also questioned the continued use of fiscal incentives, waivers, tax credits and concessions for major economic interests.

Atiku accused the government of operating a double standard by removing what he described as relief for ordinary Nigerians while defending support given to powerful businesses as economic incentives.

The ADC presidential candidate also dismissed attacks against him on social media, saying they would not stop him from demanding accountability from the Federal Government.

He insisted that allegations dating back almost two decades could not be used to silence his criticism of the present administration.

“The people who removed subsidy from the poor cannot frighten us into silence by resurrecting allegations that governments with all the investigative machinery of the Nigerian state have had nearly two decades to establish,” Atiku said.

He challenged the government to either provide evidence and prosecute him or stop using the allegations as a political distraction.

“You removed the subsidy. You collected the savings. Where is the money?” he queried.