Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged a possible breach of his banking privacy after an unknown individual paid money into one of his private bank accounts with the narration, "Contribution Electioneering Campaign."
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said neither he nor his campaign authorised or requested the payment, raising concerns that his confidential banking details may have been unlawfully accessed.
The allegation was contained in a statement issued on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
According to the statement, the transaction has raised serious questions because the account is strictly private and its details are not available to the public.
"The account is a strictly private one whose details are not in the public domain. This raises a fundamental question: How did unknown persons obtain the confidential banking details of a private citizen?" the statement said.
Atiku warned that the incident could have far-reaching implications for the protection of citizens' financial information if it is established that confidential banking records were accessed through unauthorised means.
He said the alleged compromise of his account details was particularly worrying because it involved a former vice president and a major opposition presidential candidate, arguing that if such information could be obtained without consent, the privacy of ordinary Nigerians would be even more vulnerable.
The former vice president further expressed suspicion that the banking details may have been obtained by individuals with privileged access to confidential financial records.
According to him, such a development, if proven, would amount to a grave abuse of power capable of exposing account holders to threats from kidnappers, terrorists, bandits, fraudsters and other criminal elements.
Atiku said security agencies had been alerted to the incident, describing it as part of what he called a series of suspicious developments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
"We therefore put the Nigerian public — and the security agencies — on notice about this latest incident in a litany of suspicious activities leading up to next year's general elections," he said.
The former vice president also urged Nigerians to ignore what he described as politically motivated attempts to tarnish his reputation as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
"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 statement added.
Atiku maintained that he remains focused on his presidential campaign and on presenting what he described as credible leadership and practical solutions to Nigeria's economic and governance challenges.
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