Atiku Abubakar Questions Government's Fraud Defense

Atiku Abubakar responded to Bayo Onanuga, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, regarding his defense of the Nigerian government amid allegations of fraud. Abubakar stated that Onanuga's defense raises more questions than answers, referencing an African proverb about the deceptive appearance of health in a tree consumed by termites.

He criticized the government's inability to explain the existence of fictitious agencies that allegedly facilitate fraud, highlighting a reported appropriation of approximately 1.3 billion naira in the 2026 budget. Abubakar pointed out that the government cannot claim to expose fraud while simultaneously struggling with its own accountability.

He emphasized that the Nigerian populace deserves clarity on the alleged fictitious agencies navigating financial processes and called for greater scrutiny of the government's budget management, asserting that the integrity of the nation's financial institutions is at stake.