The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of being haunted by the “ghost of his sordid past” over his allegation that the 2026 Service-Wide Vote was set aside to fund President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
The party described Atiku’s claim as baseless and mischievous, saying it reflected ignorance of the purpose of the Service-Wide Vote, which it said was a long-established budgetary mechanism for funding government-wide obligations and unforeseen expenditures.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, on Wednesday, the APC said Atiku had not provided any facts to support his allegation.
“Beyond the headline allegation, Atiku did not advance any facts to verify his sensational claim, which is based purely on conjecture and calculated to inflame, mislead, and distract Nigerians from the visible and steady progress recorded under President Tinubu’s administration,” the party said.
The APC said a Service-Wide Vote was “a long-established and widely used budgetary mechanism designed to cater for government-wide obligations and unforeseen expenditures that arise after the annual budget has been passed.”
It added that similar contingency arrangements existed in major economies and democracies around the world.
The party rejected the allegation that the fund was a secret account or illegal slush fund, describing Atiku’s claim as “baseless and reckless.”
The APC also accused the former vice president of attempting to “smear” the Tinubu administration and lecture Nigerians on fiscal responsibility and budgetary transparency.
It alleged that Atiku, a former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had failed to articulate a clear vision or coherent plan for Nigeria’s development despite his repeated presidential bids.
The party further described his allegations as “fake news and doomsday narratives,” saying such claims were irresponsible and unbecoming of a former vice president.
Defending the Tinubu administration, the APC cited programmes including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which it said had enabled close to two million students to access higher education.
It also listed the implementation of the new national minimum wage, the Consumer Credit Scheme and the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative among the administration’s interventions.
Other programmes cited by the party included support for vulnerable households, increased investments in infrastructure, healthcare and agriculture, industrial expansion and tax reforms.
“The APC and its administration remain focused on realising the Renewed Hope Agenda, rebuilding the country’s economy, deepening institutional reforms, expanding public infrastructure, and improving living conditions for all Nigerians,” the party said.