Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns over what he described as a suspected leak of his private banking information following an unsolicited credit into one of his personal bank accounts.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the transfer was made by an unknown individual with the narration, “Contribution Electioneering Campaign.” He maintained that neither he nor his campaign solicited, authorised or had prior knowledge of the payment.
According to the statement, the account involved is a strictly private one whose details are not publicly available, raising concerns about how an unidentified person obtained the confidential banking information.
“The transfer originated from a person totally unknown to His Excellency with the narration ‘Contribution Electioneering Campaign.’ Neither His Excellency nor his campaign solicited, authorised or has any knowledge of the individual or entity behind the unauthorised payment,” the statement read.
The former vice president described the development as “deeply troubling,” warning that if the banking details of a former vice president and leading presidential candidate could be accessed without authorisation, the financial privacy of ordinary Nigerians could also be at risk.
He further expressed concern that the information may have been obtained by individuals with privileged access, warning that such a breach, if established, could expose account holders to security threats, including kidnapping, terrorism, banditry and financial fraud.
“If the private banking information of a former Vice President and a leading presidential candidate can be accessed and deployed for reasons yet unknown, then no Nigerian’s financial privacy is safe,” the statement added.
Atiku called the attention of security agencies to the incident and urged them to investigate the circumstances surrounding the transfer, describing it as one of several suspicious developments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former presidential candidate also alleged that the incident was part of attempts to tarnish his reputation as political activities gather momentum, insisting that such tactics would not distract him from his political ambitions.
“As political activities gather momentum, Nigerians should not be distracted by these tired tactics that smack of character assassination. Such desperate antics have failed before and will fail again. The Waziri Adamawa remains focused on offering Nigerians credible leadership and practical solutions to the nation’s challenges,” the statement said.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official response from the commercial bank where the account is domiciled or from security agencies regarding the allegations.
